Slideshow showing 10 of Hampshire's Butterfly Species

Hampshire, being a large county located in southern England is fortunate to have a large proportion of the UK's butterfly species resident within its boundaries. In fact there are 46 species of butterfly which can be found each year within  the county, comprising 45 resident species, and 1 which is considered a regular migrant (Clouded Yellow).

The links on the left allow you to navigate to each of them, arranged by family or group. In order to assist the observer, there is an image or sequence of images of each species to aid identification, information about the flight period, habitat descriptions, tips for observation and examples of specific Hampshire sites where they can be found. Occasionally notable sites in neighbouring counties or the Isle of Wight are also mentioned.

The mini-slideshow above shows a selection of 10 of our species, each one with its own unique characteristics, whether that be in terms of appearance, behaviour, habitat, life history or distribution.

I will use this introduction to highlight the plight of one of our species - the Wall butterfly which is the first image in the mini-slideshow above and one of the most handsome of our 'browns'. The Wall butterfly was once a relatively common species in much of England and Wales, favouring dry open grassland with plenty of bare areas, such as paths and walls on which to bask (hence its name).

However it has suffered a phenomenal decline of 72% in the last 20 years (UK BMS data) of which 61% has been in the last 10 years, suggesting the decline is actually accelerating. The impact of this has been that the butterfly has virtually disappeared from large swathes of countryside in Central and Southern England, where its presence is now largely confined to the coastal fringe. The scale and speed of its demise is not fully understood, however habitat loss and climate change are likely to be factors. It is also intriguing that the once strong summer brood has weakened more than the spring brood.

The Wall butterfly has now been elevated to priority status under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) as a result of its rapid decline, with an initiative to promote research into the causes. By understanding the probably complex and interacting causes involved, we can better determine what actions to take.

If there is a glimmer of hope, the decline has not been so marked in the North of England and Wales and there are a few sites in England which have bucked the downward trend altogether and recorded systematic increases. In addition, also as a result of climate change, the Wall butterfly's range has extended slightly further northwards and deeper into Scotland.

In Hampshire, there is now only one reasonably reliable site to see this butterfly which is the Lymington - Keyhaven coastal nature reserve, although based on my visits in recent years, its numbers there are also diminishing, with counts in double figures now very unusual.