The Natural History of Slapton Ley | Wildlife Surveys

Common Blue - Polyommatus icarus.
Male above; female below.

Painted Lady - Vanessa cardui

Butterflies

Butterflies have reduced in number enormously since the 1950’s, this is thought to be a direct result of the reduction in wild flower meadows, the intensification of farming, the destruction of ancient woodland, peat bogs, hedgerows and field boundaries full of wild flowers. These are all vital habitats to both butterflies and moths.

As of April 2006 we are establishing fixed butterfly transects around the National Nature Reserve to measure the changes in the abundance and variety of butterflies found on site.           

These butterfly transects will be walked weekly between April 1st and September 29th whilst recording the butterflies that are present within each transect.  

These transects will be established around Loworthy and along the Nature Trail, with all transects consisting of different habitat types with varying management prescriptions (if possible).  

Each transect count will be taken between 10.00 and 17.00, weather permitting. All this will obviously be weather dependent as the minimum criteria is 13-17°C with at least 60% sunshine, or if there is no sunshine the temperature must be 17°C or above. Windspeed with regard to the Beaufort scale must not be more than 5 and no recording should occur in temperatures below 13°C.