UK BAP Priority Butterfly Species in Scotland

UK BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN (UKBAP) is the UK governments response to the Convention of Biodiversity which was signed by 159 countries at the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro in 1993. This convention was the first treaty to provide a legal framework for biodiversity conservation and called for the creation and enforcement of national strategies and action plans to conserve, protect and enhance biological diversity.

THE UKBAP was launched in 1994 and comprised 382 species action plans (plants & animals), habitat action plans and local action plans. Eleven species of butterfly and 53 species of moth were identified for priority conservation action and in some cases dramatic reversals of population decline have been achieved since then: Large Blue and the Silver Spotted Skipper being two such examples. However, other UK BAP species are still in decline and in 2007, the UK BAP was reviewed increasing the total number of priority species to 1149 and priority habitats to 65. The Table below lists the UK BAP butterfly species designated back in 1994 and which occur in Scotland and those species added in 2007 which occur in Scotland.

UK BAP Butterfly species which occur in Scotland

Designated in 1994	Designated in 2007
Chequered Skipper	Dingy Skipper
Pearl-bordered Fritillary	Grayling
Marsh Fritillary	Large Heath
Northern Brown Argus	Small Heath
	Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
	Wall
	Mountain Ringlet
	Small Blue