Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly and Moth Society
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly and Moth Society
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Subfamily: | Satyrinae |
| Genus: | Pararge |
| Species: | aegeria |
| Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The Speckled Wood is a common butterfly and familiar to many observers, especially in woodland where, as its name suggests, it is most often found. The appearance of this butterfly changes from north to south, forming a "cline", where individuals in the north are dark brown with white spots, with those in more southerly locations being dark brown with orange spots. This has given rise to a number of subspecies.
In England this butterfly is found south of a line between Westmorland in the west and South-east Yorkshire in the east, with a few scattered colonies further north. It is also found in the west and north of Scotland, but is absent from the south, the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. It is widespread in both Wales and Ireland, but is absent from exposed high ground. This species is expanding its range and it is anticipated that it will eventually fill the gaps in its distribution.
| #Individuals | #Tetrads | 2022 | 2023 | Abundance Trend | 2022 | 2023 | Distribution Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17344 | 17989 | +3% | 651 | 668 | +2% |
| #Records | #Individuals | Earliest Record | Latest Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Records | 134,773 | 290,589 | 11/01/2013 | 15/12/2011 |
| 2023 | 9,296 | 17,989 | 2/4/2023 | 15/11/2023 |
| Location | Date | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earliest Record | Martin Down (South) transect: Section 5 | 2/4/2023 | 1 |
| Latest Record | Peartree Green | 15/11/2023 | 1 |
| Highest Count | Monks Walk | 3/8/2023 | 40 |
One of the issues with 'raw' trend data is that there is inherent bias based on the number of recorders. For example, the number of individuals and populated tetrads recorded are likely to increase if there is an increase in the number of recorders. In order to remove this bias, the normalised trends use data that has been recalculated using the average number of recorders over the trend period. This normalisation gives a much better picture of the true trends.
Average #Recorders: 515.24
Average #Recorders: 515.24