Pearl-bordered fritillary thriving against the odds on Isle of Wight

Fears it would become extinct on Isle of Wight

August 2010: Amid fears of extinction on the Isle of Wight in 2010, the pearl-bordered fritillary, one of the UK's rarest woodland butterflies, has survived against the odds to take advantage of the Forestry Commission's extensive programme of habitat management at Parkhurst Forest, near Newport.

BACK FROM THE BRINK: The pearl-bordered fritillary

The stunning orange and black woodland butterfly, with white ‘pearls' on the edge of its hindwing, has emerged in increased numbers this year following steep declines over recent years.

Targeted conservation management across the 1,000 acre forest and the creation of open space through recent timber harvesting operations around the core butterfly egg laying areas has helped turn the tide. During the next few years the pearl-bordered fritillary population at Parkhurst is hoped to increase to more viable numbers.

A plan is also being developed by the Forestry Commission to re-establish this species at the Firestone-Briddlesford-Combley Woods complex on the eastern side of the Island once the Parkhurst population has increased to a sustainable level.

New hope for the future
At the same time the Forestry Commission has achieved great success with the pearl-bordered fritillary at Abbots Wood in East Sussex this year, where more than 250 butterflies were spotted in woodland corridors, along pathways and across open spaces from the heart of the forest to the outer edges.

The lessons learned from this success will be used to inform the future conservation work on the Isle of Wight and elsewhere across the country. These projects are significant in halting the decline of this species.

Dan Hoare, Senior Regional Officer for Butterfly Conservation in South East England, said: ‘These projects are pivotal to the success of this butterfly's conservation in the future. It has given us new hope that we can reverse the declines, and it's brilliant that organisations are working together across the country to share conservation techniques. The Forestry Commission has shown that both modern forestry and traditional woodland management can support this threatened species.'

Butterflies have used the favourable sunny weather to take advantage of the Forestry Commission's carefully targeted management of the forest landscape. The pearl-bordered fritillary is now thriving in the open spaces that have been created by felling trees to provide sustainable timber for British industry.

Wood white enjoys an ‘exceptional' year
And the pearl-bordered fritillary is not the only butterfly that is thriving this year. The wood white, one of the UK's rarest woodland butterflies, has been recorded in ‘exceptional' numbers this year at the Forestry Commission managed Chiddingfold Forest on the Surrey-Sussex boundary according to a survey by Butterfly Conservation.

This success comes as a result of favourable weather and the Forestry Commission's ancient and native woodland restoration programme. Conifer harvesting and corridor enhancements have changed the shape of the woodland complex dramatically. Targeted conservation management and the creation of open space through recent timber harvesting operations around the core butterfly egg laying areas has helped increase the population of wood whites.

The challenge in future years will be to ensure the butterfly spreads beyond the Forestry Commission estate into the wider woodlands and re-establishes itself at a landscape scale.