Welcome to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Branch of
Butterfly Conservation
Butterfly Conservation was formed by a small group of dedicated
naturalists in 1968 following the alarming decline of many beautiful
butterflies. Most British butterfly species remain in decline.
We aim to halt and reverse these declines. Our vision is of a
world rich in butterflies for future generations to enjoy.
We are also committed to the conservation of moths, which are
close relatives of butterflies and are in rapid decline.
Butterflies and moths you can see now
With the start of summer the number of
butterflies and moths that can be seen in Hampshire and
the Isle of Wight is almost at its maximum. There have
been over 50 butterfly species and over 1500 moth
species recorded in June in Hampshire and the Isle of
Wight. Listed below are selections of those that can be
seen this month. Most of the moths will only be seen
when attracted to light.
Meadow Brown
Common Blue
Small Heath
Marbled White
Silver-studded Blue
Large Skipper
Small Blue
Ringlet
Glanville Fritillary
Adonis Blue
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Small White
White Admiral
Painted Lady
Brown Argus
Silver-washed Fritillary
Small Skipper
Dark Green Fritillary
Green Hairstreak
Gatekeeper
Wall
Purple Hairstreak
Marsh Fritillary
Duke of Burgundy
Essex Skipper
Heart and Dart
Willow Beauty
Dark Arches
Buff Ermine
Garden Grass-veneer
Treble Lines
Large Yellow Underwing
Uncertain
Bright-line Brown-eye
Flame
Elephant Hawk-moth
White Ermine
Vine's Rustic
Heart and Club
Green Oak Tortrix
Flame Shoulder
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Riband Wave
Silver Y
Marbled Minor
Peppered Moth
Cinnabar
Straw Dot
Ingrailed Clay
Common Marbled Carpet
Butterflies are beautiful and intrinsically valuable.
Together with moths, their sensitivity to environmental change
makes them valuable indicators of the health of the
countryside. We are dedicated to the conservation of:
Butterflies
Moths
Reserves
There are 46 species of butterfly occurring in Hampshire and the
Isle of Wight. Of these 35 can be seen on our reserves. More about our butterflies...
Around 1950 species of moth have been recorded in Hampshire and the Isle
of Wight. Over 600 of these on our reserves. More about our moths...
Butterfly Conservation has over 25 reserves across the UK,
including 3 in Hampshire, Yew Hill. Magdalen Hill Down and
Bentley Station Meadow. More about our reserves...
Faulty Annual Report binding
It has come to our notice that a few
copies of the annual Report have faulty binding / lack of glue
and have fallen apart. If that has happened to you please
accept our apologies and let Tim Norriss know, with your name
and postcode, so that we can replace it as soon as we can.
Tim's email is timATkitsmail.com We hope this doesn't spoil
your enjoyment of the content of the Report.
National Moth Night (18th - 19th September 2009)
National
Moth Night is the annual celebration of moths and moth
recording. It is organised by
Atropos (the journal for butterfly, moth and dragonfly
enthusiasts) and Butterfly Conservation (through the Moths Count
project). Whether you are new to the wonderful world of
moths or a knowledgeable enthusiast, Moths Count gives you lots
of opportunities to take part. You can submit moth sightings,
attend moth events, or get involved in Butterfly Conservation's
work to conserve moths: whatever you do, Moths Count can help
you wonder at the beauty and variety of our moths. For more
information see
HERE...
Moths Count April newsletter now available from HERE...
The Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey (WCBS) goes ahead in
2009
After two years of pilot testing, a new method of
monitoring butterflies in widespread habitats, such as farmland
and upland moorland, is to be rolled out nationwide this year.
The Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey method has been developed
by Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology and
Hydrology as part of the UKBMS project.
There has been close involvement with the British Trust for
Ornithology and the method is based on the highly successful
Breeding Bird Survey.
The new method involves making a minimum of two visits to a
randomly selected square near to your home between May and
August to count butterflies along two 1km survey lines running
roughly north-south through the your square. See
HERE... for further information.
Suppliers of disease resistant elm cultivars can be
found HERE...
