Sighting of the week is White Letter Hairstreak, seen next to Ashway Gap, and a first for Dove Stone's butterfly records. White Letter Hairstreak gets its name from the letter "W" that is formed from a series of white lines found on the underside of the hindwings - and it always feeds and rest with its wings closed - known as a ' lateral basker '. The White Letter has an erratic, spiralling flight typical of Hairstreaks.
White Letter Hairstreak
During the 1970s Dutch Elm disease decimated millions of all species of elm. This impacted on the British population of White Letters and there was concern that it might even become extinct in Britain as a result. However, since then White Letter Hairstreak is recovering - it's also expanding its range further north. Part of the reason that the White Letter has been able to recover is that the caterpillars can survive on the regrowth of elms and don't rely solely on mature trees. Some research shows that the White Letter has a preference for breeding on Wych Elm, although it will also breed on Small-leaved Elm and English Elm. Conservation work has also helped through research into finding disease-resistant elms that flower at the right time of year, as young larvae generally rely on flower buds as a food source. Although its known for being a butterfly of the tree canopy, where it feeds on honeydew, it also feeds on thistles, with a preference for Creeping Thistle and on brambles.
Wych Elm
With a fairly short flight period, it's worth looking out for White Letters through July and into mid-August. The White Letter Hairstreak is a butterfly that forms small colonies, typically focused on a small clump of trees or even an individual tree. They're not great wanderers and will reuse the same site year after year.
Thanks go to to Ken for the sighting and for the photo - belting indeed !
Other butterflies around Dove Stone to look out for at the moment include Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Small Skipper, Green Veined White, Large and Small White, Speckled Wood and Small Tortoiseshell.
More soon...