NATURAL LIVING
A LIFE OF FLIGHT Adonis Blue (Polyommatus bellargus)
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t was the first real day of spring and cherry blossom was bursting from the branch as I saw a flash of colour dip behind sunlit white flowers. It was a Peacock butterfly, common across the UK but still uncommonly beautiful. Some survive for eleven months, hibernating over winter to emerge in March on sunny days. They begin breeding immediately and the next generation arrive in July to gorge en masse on their favourite plant, Buddleia Walk on the South Downs in early summer and you’re likely to see the dazzling Adonis Blue. The males sport a wing colour to rival those of a kingfisher. A chalk downland specialist, its larvae feed solely on Horseshoe Vetch and the
We have as many species of butterflies in Sussex as there are weeks in the year and the majority live out their entire life cycle within our county. Ruth Lawrence reveals which species are most likely to be encountered and some others whose rarity makes their sighting an unusual treat
and summer species are emerging is something of a myth. Although there’s a decline in numbers of spring species in June, the summer species are emerging but will not reach their peak until later. But overall, true butterfly diversity is possibly greatest in June. One of the greatest success stories in Sussex concerns the Duke of Burgundy, the unlikely name of an orange and brown chequered butterfly that used to be prolific in the coppiced woodland of days gone by. Once commercial coppicing almost ceased, the Wealden colonies were lost, one by one. In 2003 just eight individuals were recorded, and the species was heading for adults require short, extinction in Sussex until a man called well grazed turf to survive. Neil Hulme They live in close-knit colonies launched a and rarely wander, residing conservation there their entire lives initiative which in concentrated pulled the species areas and back from the brink. communities. Now, over a thousand Easily may be counted across confused the county, the only with the European member of a slightly paler Chalk tropical family of butterflies Hill Blue, the life cycle of the called ‘metal marks.’ Purple Emperor two species overlap for just a Another species that has been (Apatura iris) few weeks. As the Adonis Blue struggling here is the White-letter disappear in late June, the Hairstreak, with a distinctive ‘W’ Chalk Hill Blue begin to emerge, usually on the underside of its wing. As the peaking in early August. As they begin caterpillars feed solely on Elm, Dutch to die off, the second brood of Adonis Elm disease had a huge impact on this Blue emerges. butterfly. Crispin Holloway, a Life The ‘June Gap’ when spring Sciences technician at the University butterflies are coming to an end of Sussex managed to save the eggs on a disease-stricken Elm before it was felled on his campus so they could be reared in captivity and transferred to a healthy tree, helping to save the local
Butterfly diversity is possibly greatest in June
Peacock (Aglais io)
May 2021 | SUSSEX LIVING 105
