2010 Season in a Nutshell

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Generally agreed by most recorders as being a good butterfly season with the exception of immigrants.

Skippers

Small and Essex – scarce.
Large – did very well.
Dingy & Grizzled – both did well but very local. Dingy 2nd brood – 4 singletons.

Silver-Spotted - Porton Down where rabbits are causing a problem – see Stuart Corbett’s article on page 24 in Bulletin No. 30 (September 2010). One other tiny colony on ATE SP(E).

Whites

Brimstone - invariably seems to be commoner in south.
Large, Small & Green-veined – below or about normal.
Orange-tips - did very well.

Hairstreaks (Elusive)

Green – good on some sites. a rare 2nd brood at Porton Down on 1st & 3rd September.
Brown – did reasonably well and still only two populations.
Purple – did well. Reported from 10 new tetrads.
White-letter – did well - more singletons reported this year.

Small Copper

Did well with a late 3rd/4th ? brood in October.

Blues

Silver-studded – colony established at WWT Landford Bog reserve.
Small – did well with 2nd brood at several sites.
Brown Argus, Common and Adonis – all did exceptionally well, huge numbers on some sites.
Chalkhill – still very scarce at most sites.
Holly – increasing but not abundant.
Duke of Burgandy – did well at most sites – abundant on Porton Down in May, counts of 147 and 155.

Nymphs

White Admiral - good, numbers higher than for several years.
Purple Emperor – good season at core sites. Discovered in Cranborne Chase, a wood near Marlborough and near Bentley Wood. Unconfirmed near Chippenham. Probably more widely distrubuted than previously thought. Collectors active in two woods.
Small Tortoiseshell – almost back to normal level of abundance.
Peacock – poor season?
Comma – average season.

Fritillaries

Small Pearl-bordered - did well in Bentley Wood. Four new colonies reported and two others ‘rediscovered’.
Pearl-bordered - did well in Bentley Wood. One new colony discovered.
Dark Green – better season but still scarcer than a few years ago.
Silver-washed – excellent season, many Valesina reported. Colonising East Anglia (Essex, Suff & Nor). Marsh – a good season with some large populations.

Browns

Speckled Wood - common with numbers building in Autumn.
Wall – Good 2nd brood numbers. Several wandering singletons seen.
Grayling – only recorded from SE corner.
Marbled White, Gatekeeper & Meadow Brown - still common but not as abundant as usual.
Ringlet – abundant.
Small Heath – did very well at many sites.

Immigrants

Red Amiral – well below par.
Painted Lady - very scarce. I saw none.
Clouded Yellow – only 5 records received.
Long-tailed Blue – 1 in kitchen at Marlborough for 3 days in September. Only 3 other Wilts records 1923, 1953 & 1967.

For those of you who would like to know much more detail – see the 2010 Butterfly Report.

Mike Fuller

Wiltshire Butterfly Recorder