Glasgow and SW Scotland Branch of Butterfly Conservation
Conserving and Recording the butterflies & moths of SW Scotland
The Glasgow & SW Scotland branch area now has 34 species of butterfly after the recent arrival from England of the Small & Essex Skippers. See butterfly species for web pages about each of these species. There is currently no definitive list of moths for the branch area but being the most southerly of the three Scotland branches, the Glasgow & SW Scotland branch very likely has the greatest number of species.
The branch area includes Dumfries & Galloway, Ayrshire, Greater Glasgow, Stirlingshire, Argyll, the Argyll islands, Dunbartonshire & Loch Lomond. This includes Scotland's first National Park: Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park. These regions include a diverse range of landscapes providing a range of habitats from the fertile central lowlands and coastal parts of Ayrshire/Dumfries & Galloway to the moorland of more inland areas of these counties and to the rugged mountain scenery of the southern highlands and Argyll and to the unique scenery and habitats of the Argyll islands.
This diversity of habitats in the branch area is reflected in the distribution of some butterflies and moths. For example, the Mountain Ringlet is only found at altitudes above 300m in the southern Highlands, the Scotch Argus is not found in lowland areas of the branch area except in Argyll where it is found down to sea level. There are some spectacular moths of moorland in the branch area including the Emperor Moth, the Northern Eggar & Great Brocade.
The key butterfly species in the branch area are the Chequered Skipper & Marsh Fritillary in parts of Argyll, the Large Heath which lives in lowland and blanket bogs in various parts of SW Scotland, the Pearl-bordered Fritillary which has an important stronghold in Argyll and the Mountain Ringlet in the southern highlands.
The key moth species are the burnet moths of Argyll and the Argyll islands - Slender Scotch Burnet; New Forest Burnet & Transparent Burnet - and other western species including the Barred Tooth-Stripe, Square Spotted Clay, Argent & Sable & Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk Moth.
Butterfly Sites in different regions of Branch area
There are a number of reasons why you might want to buy a copy of the Branch atlas, Butterflies of South West Scotland which covers the 1995-2004 period. You might just like to look at pretty pictures of butterflies - nothing wrong with that! You might want to find out about the distribution of the 34 species of butterfly in our branch area which of course is what an atlas is all about. You might like to read up about the history of the Glasgow and South-west Scotland branch of Butterfly Conservation which is 25 years old this year! You might want to learn about the butterfly life cycles, and in particular which plants the caterpillars feed on. You might want a colourful book to cheer you up during the long dark evenings of winter! You might want to buy someone you know who likes natural history a birthday or xmas present. These are all very excellent reasons for wanting to buy a copy of the branch atlas for just £5.00 including postage and packing.
But there is another truly excellent reason. The branch atlas has a section called "Guide to the regions" covering 34 pages which lists good butterfly sites and the species which can be found there which is divided into the following regions: Dumfries & Galloway; Ayrshire; Greater Glasgow; Dunbartonshire; Stirlingshire; Argyll and the Isles. This is a valuable resource for anyone who wishes to see butterflies in the branch region and includes grid references,which Ordinance survey maps you need and parking details. It is also very handy for taking out with you in the car. So if you don't already have a copy, please consider buying the branch atlas for just £5.00.
WHAT'S NEW?
BRANCH QUESTIONNAIRE
The committee has prepared a questionnaire to find out what branch members would like in the way of functions and branch activities and to see how many would be willing to take part in practical conservation work.
Another aim of the questionnaire is to collect email addresses for as many members as possible as communication is much easier this way and by sending newsletters by email, the branch can reduce paper and postage costs. Please click here to complete the questionnaire.
WATCH FOR MIGRANTS - PAINTED LADY & HUMMING-BIRD HAWK MOTH
The Painted Lady Butterfly and Humming-bird Hawk-moth are arriving from Africa and becoming increasingly common in the UK. To find out just how common, we need your help. If you have seen either the Humming-bird Hawk-moth or the Painted Lady since the start of 2008, please follow the links and help us track the impact of climate change on migration.
Read more and record your sightings....
Homepage