Spotting heathland butterflies

Thursday 29 May 2025

Heathland Heroes

https://www.facebook.com/worcestershirewildlifetrust

We are creating the county's largest block of heathland and connecting 600 acres of habitat. Our Saving Worcestershire's Heathland's Project Officer, Beccy Somers, brings you the latest news and information from this amazing project.

Small heath by Wendy Carter

Beccy takes a closer look at two of the beautiful butterflies found on our heathland...

The warm, open conditions and variety of particular plants that are found on lowland heathlands support several rare and threatened butterflies. Some have specific requirements, such as particular plants for the larvae to eat, that make them especially vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation. With a huge loss in heathland, many species now only survive in isolated populations, which is why projects like Saving Worcestershire's Heathlands are so important; we're restoring and creating new habitats to safeguard rare species and the fragile ecosystems they depend upon.

We may not have silver-studded blues or heath fritillaries on or around The Devil's Spittleful but there are still fluttering delights to look out for.

Small heath butterfly perched on a dead stem - the butterfly has its wings closed, showing an orange upper hindwing with an 'eye' spot (black circle with white dot in) and a brown and cream lower hindwing

Take small heath butterflies. They may not be considered rare but their populations have declined significantly over recent decades. Once widespread and common across a range of habitats - including grasslands, heathlands and even roadside verges - these flutters are now listed as a priority species for conservation. As a species sensitive to habitat changes, the presence of small heaths is a good indicator of a well-managed, biodiverse heathland so we’re delighted to see plenty of them roaming our heathlands.

Small heaths are often spotted fluttering low to the ground during sunny days from late spring through early autumn. When they land and close their wings, their subtle coloration - light brown with a single eyespot on the hind forewing - provides effective camouflage against predators and curious humans!

Small copper butterfly (copper orange with black spots on wings) feeding on yellow ragwort flowers by Ross Hoddinott/2020VISION

Another butterfly beauty to look out for are small coppers. Like small heaths, these small butterflies are suffering from habitat loss and changes in land use and so they're worth monitoring for conservation purposes.

Small coppers add a flash of vivid orange to the lowland heathlands of Worcestershire, where they find ideal conditions among the open, sunny patches of vegetation. These striking butterflies are often seen basking on bare ground or feeding on flowers of heather, bird’s-foot trefoil and dandelions. Heathlands and open grassland like ours provide the short, sparse vegetation and acidic soils where common and sheep's sorrel, foodplant of their caterpillars, can thrive.

The territorial nature and rapid, darting flight of small coppers make them a lively presence from spring through to autumn. Their continued survival in Worcestershire depends on maintaining a mosaic of open heathland habitat, underscoring the importance of sensitive land management and conservation practices.

We couldn’t maintain the open habitats of our heathlands without our amazing volunteers. If you would like to find out more about helping to conserve this special habitat please visit our volunteering opportunities page and search for 'The Devil's Spittleful'.