Pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies boost in Devon

Rare butterflies benefit from funding boost
August 2009. Populations of pearl-bordered and small pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies at Devon Wildlife Trust's (DWT) Marsland Nature Reserve on the north Devon coast are set for a boost this year thanks to new funding from the Pennon Environmental Fund (PEF). The grant of £4,900 from PEF follows this summer's news that numbers for both species have increased dramatically compared to the overall national decline thanks to careful management.

Scrub management and coppicing
The grant will help the charity to extend successful management practices to new areas within the 190 hectare reserve. The project will focus on scrub management and coppicing. Gorse and scrub will be cleared on the steep south-facing valley sides in order to provide the precise egg-laying requirements of the female butterflies. Bracken will also be cut and then raked to encourage violets - the food plant of the fritillary larvae.

DWT's Senior Nature Reserves Officer Gary Pilkington said: "We have worked hard over the last two decades to improve the habitat for these beautiful and rare insects. It is great to see such positive improvements compared to the 50% decline nationally for both species. This grant will enable our work to continue to help these amazing butterflies to expand here at Marsland and we look forward to next summer's count to see if we have further increases in numbers!"

Grizzled and dingy skipper
Other species set to benefit include the grizzled and dingy skipper butterflies, birds such as linnets and spotted flycatchers, as well as mammals such as the dormouse.

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