Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly and Moth Society
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly and Moth Society
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Subfamily: | Heliconiinae |
| Genus: | Speyeria |
| Species: | aglaja |
| Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The Dark Green Fritillary is the most widespread fritillary found in the British Isles and is a pleasure to see as it flies powerfully over its grassland habitats, frequently stopping to nectar on Thistles and Knapweed. It gets its name from the green hue found on the underside of the hindwings, which are peppered with large silver spots. This butterfly can be found throughout the British Isles, although it is less common in central and eastern England. Outside of central Scotland and southern England, it is most frequently found in coastal areas and is the only fritillary found in Orkney and the Outer Hebrides. Despite its powerful flight, it is somewhat surprising that this species is not particularly mobile, staying within its breeding grounds.
| #Individuals | #Tetrads | 2022 | 2023 | Abundance Trend | 2022 | 2023 | Distribution Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2838 | 1707 | -39% | 108 | 82 | -24% |
| #Records | #Individuals | Earliest Record | Latest Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Records | 10,980 | 43,719 | 28/05/2010 & 2020 | 08/09/2012 & 2021 |
| 2023 | 531 | 1,707 | 14/6/2023 | 4/9/2023 |
| Location | Date | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earliest Record | Broughton Down 2 transect: Section 12 | 14/6/2023 | 1 |
| Latest Record | Coulters Dean transect: Section 2 | 4/9/2023 | 1 |
| Highest Count | Mottistone Down transect: Section 6 | 22/6/2023 | 29 |
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: 66.68
Average #Recorders: 66.68