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Habitats in Britain &
Europe
1 - Forests and woodlands
2 - Grasslands and scrub
3 - Heathlands and moors
4 - Coastal habitats
Coastal habitats
Coastal grasslands in southern England are breeding
sites for native species including Adonis Blue, Chalkhill Blue, Small
Blue, Dark Green Fritillary, Small Copper, Small Heath, Lulworth
Skipper and Marbled White. They also function as temporary breeding
sites for many migrant species such as Clouded Yellow, Painted Lady
and Red Admiral.
Many of
these sites are owned by the National Trust, who graze them with
cattle or sheep.
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Habitat of
Lulworth Skipper, Wall Brown, Marbled White & Dark Green
Fritillary ©
Adrian Hoskins |
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Wall Brown Lasiommata megera,
Dorset coast ©
Adrian Hoskins |
Erosion
Cliff
faces, landslips and eroded slopes are of major importance to the
Grayling and Wall Brown, whose larvae feed on fine grasses and require
a warm microclimate. Other species which thrive on the steep slopes
include the calcareous race of Silver-studded Blue on Great Orme, the
Wood White in Devon, and the Glanville Fritillary on Wight.
The
Glanville Fritillary is confined to coastal landslips on the south
coast of the Isle of Wight - the only part of Britain where the
climate is warm enough to support it ( although temporary colonies
periodically appear on the Hampshire coast ). Landslip habitats are by
definition transient, and only remain in suitable condition for the
butterfly for a few years before becoming overgrown, so the colonies
are short-lived and the butterfly depends on the creation of new
landslips for it's continued existence.
Glanville Fritillary
Melitaea cinxia,
male, Wheelers Bay, Isle of Wight ©
Adrian Hoskins
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