Heath Fritillary

Flight period: June to July.

The Heath Fritillary is at the north west extreme of its range in the southern UK and its numbers have greatly reduced this century due to changes in woodland management.

It is now one of our rarest and most localised butterflies and can only be found at a few sites in Essex and Kent and in south west England. In Essex and Kent, they can be found in coppiced woodland with acid soils where Common Cow Wheat, the preferred foodplant, is available. On Exmoor they favour sheltered combes (valleys) and in Devon and Cornwall abandoned hay meadows are preferred.

Detailed study has determined the Heath Fritillary’s precise habitat requirements and its future in the UK depends on deliberate conservation and habitat management.

Date: 8th June 2008

Location: Undisclosed site, Essex