Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly and Moth Society
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly and Moth Society
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Subfamily: | Theclinae |
| Genus: | Callophrys |
| Species: | rubi |
| Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
This butterfly is the most widespread of our hairstreaks. However, it is also a local species, forming distinct colonies which can be as small as a few dozen individuals, although other colonies can be much larger. Both sexes always settle with their wings closed, the brown uppersides only ever being seen in flight. The undersides, by contrast, provide the illusion of being green, an effect produced by the diffraction of light on a lattice-like structure found within the wing scales, which provides excellent camouflage as the butterfly rests on a favourite perch, such as a Hawthorn branch. This butterfly will also regulate its body temperature by tilting its wings appropriately to catch the sun's rays. This butterfly is found throughout the British Isles - partly due to the wide variety of foodplants it uses, and the wide range of habitats it frequents. However, it is absent from the Isle of Man, Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland.
| #Individuals | #Tetrads | 2022 | 2023 | Abundance Trend | 2022 | 2023 | Distribution Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 519 | 431 | -16% | 86 | 88 | +2% |
| #Records | #Individuals | Earliest Record | Latest Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Records | 7,822 | 16,336 | 29/03/2012 | 30/07/2007 |
| 2023 | 233 | 431 | 20/4/2023 | 27/6/2023 |
| Location | Date | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earliest Record | Magdalen Hill Down Original transect: Section 10 | 20/4/2023 | 2 |
| Latest Record | Magdalen Hill Down (Tree & Shrub East) transect: Section 3 | 27/6/2023 | 1 |
| Highest Count | Stockbridge Down | 24/5/2023 | 20 |
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: 83.48
Average #Recorders: 83.48