Coppicing for butterfly habitat - pictures

[nepia]

How does the White Pearl-Bordered Fritiladmiral benefit?! More food due to less competition from the trees or does it need the open space for courtship etc?

[Ty Unnos]

Nice job! I am working on a similar site in North Wales. We are cutting hazel coppice again for the benefit of Pearl-bordered Fritillary. More info here:

 

Forestry Commission - Pearl-bordered fritillary

[Mr Ming]

How does the White Pearl-Bordered Fritiladmiral benefit?! More food due to less competition from the trees or does it need the open space for courtship etc?

 

from my understanding, the Pearl-bordered Fritillary is a butterfly associated with coppice blocks and woodland glades, this due to the periodic opening of the canopy, which allows the woodlands flora to flourish which was shade out as the coppice canopy closed. The woodland flora often found in these freshly coppiced blocks are high in nectar which is key for the butterfly to survive.

 

After a couple of years the woodland flowers are out competed by stronger/taller plants, grasses, then the coppice re-growth. For the butterfly to survive long term it requires regular management of the woodland in a coppice based system so that there are areas within thee woodland which can provide the nectar flowers.

 

The larval also relies upon food plants which are related to the latter stages of coppice flora.

[Mr Ming]

Here are some pictures from a job I have been working on for the South Downs National Park. It's at Henley Copse near Midhurst in West Sussex, on the Cowdray Estate.

 

We were cutting chestnut coppice to improve the habitat for the local Pearl-bordered Fritillary Colony.

 

Here are a few pictures of before we started:

 

I used to work at Cowdray, some great woodlands and amazing timber. Donald is a character.

[nepia]

Thank you Mr Ming. Seems our entomological friend depends on good coppice management then.

[arbmark]

How does the White Pearl-Bordered Fritiladmiral benefit?! More food due to less competition from the trees or does it need the open space for courtship etc?

 

Har Har - what a dork! How did i miss that!?!? Long day, new baby, dozy disposition - its a bad combo

 

great thread (i wrote 'threat' first time but actually noticed!)

 

not as good as a white admiral though

[nepia]