Butterfly Conservation - Glasgow and South West Scotland Branch - Mountain Ringlet Surveys in Stirlingshire, Breadalbane, Dunbartonshire & Argyll

The Mountain Ringlet is a small dark brown butterfly with orange bands containing black spots on both upper and underwing surfaces. Distinctive features of this small butterfly are the white legs and antennae which contrast strongly with the dark body.

The Mountain Ringlet can be confused with the closely related Scotch Argus (Erebia aethiops) which is a somewhat larger dark butterfly which also has orange bands on the upperwings containing black eyespots and which is also found in the Scottish Highlands. A distinctive feature of the caledonia sub-species of the Scotch Argus which is the sub-species which occurs in Scotland is the narrowing of the orange band on the upper forewing between the two anterior eyespots and the single posterior eyespot. Also, the Scotch Argus flies somewhat later in the summer commencing about the 20 July but this overlaps with the latter part of the flight period of the Mountain Ringlet which can lead to mis-identification of the much rarer Mountain Ringlet.

When to Do?

From 25 June to 20 July which is the peak flight period and which avoids the flight period of the similar Scotch Argus which commences about 20 July. A fine warm anticyclonic summers day with unbroken sunshine or long sunny spells is required for this survey. Days which start sunny but which cloud over by mid-morning are unsuitable and would be a wasted effort.

Where to Do?

The Mountain Ringlet has a distribution centred on the southern Highlands of Scotland stretching from Ben Lomond in the south to Ben Nevis and Creag Meagaidh in the north (see Distribution Map at top of page). It is not found on the Grampians in general but there are records from Loch an Eilean, Aviemore and Glendoll. The reason for the absence from the Grampians is the dominance of heather here as Mountain Ringlet requires grassy mountains with abundant Mat-grass, its foodplant. However, there are many grassy mountains further north in the west highlands of Scotland on which there are no Mountain Ringlet records: the mountains of Kintail for example. Is this a genuine absence or is it simply under-recorded here or is the habitat not right in Kintail? Data from any Scottish mountain would be welcome as the Mountain Ringlet is certainly under-recorded and negative results are needed to define the true distribution of the Mountain Ringlet. While the Mountain Ringlet is unlikely to be found on the Grampian mountains which are dominated by heather, it is possible that by selecting areas with less heather and more grass, it might be found outside the two known areas of Loch an Eilean and Glendoll.

Which Altitudes to Survey?

Determining the minimum altitude of Mountain Ringlet colonies is a key aim of this survey as two recent papers concluded that colonies have become extinct at lower altitudes, probably as a result of climate change (Hill et al, 2002; Franco et al, 2006). Two further papers on butterflies in the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains of central Spain (Wilson et al 2005; Wilson et al 2007) have also reported an uphill shift in a number of mountain butterflies in response to the warming of recent decades. However, the Scottish mountains have a very different climate to that of central Spain and to date, there are no studies documenting a change in the mountain vegetation in Scotland. Strong winds off the Atlantic are characteristic of the Scottish mountains and these dictate the prsence of arctic-alpine habitat in the Cairngorms and other high-altitude areas in northern Scotland but the strong winds in northern Sutherland for example bring alpine habitat close to sea level despite a mild winter climate. Even statistics for snowfall and snow patches do not show the expected decline form a warming climate. A study of snow patches from 1971 to 2000 concluded "The number or total length of surviving patches did not rise or fall in an obvious trend over the years, so there was no sign of the decline expected from evidence of a warmer Scottish climate at low altitude". A report prepared for the Scottish Executive in 2001 into Climate Change and changing patterns of snowfall in Scotland on p10, states " The 40-year series of index values (Figure 2.2) reveals no significant long-term trend. However, the sub-set of values from the late 1970's indicates a significant decrease in the number of days with snow lying."

Annual Mean temperature in Scotland has risen 1 C since the 1960s & 1970s which were certainly a cool period in the 20th century, with temperatures in the 1980s & 1990s being comparable to the 1930s, 1940s & 1950s but the period 2002-2007 is clearly the warmest in records back to 1914. All insect populations are sensitive to changes in temperature and it would be expected that Mountain Ringlet populations in Scotland would respond to a 1C rise in Scotland's mean annual temperature by moving to higher altitudes in spite of there being no documented change in the vegetation. And this is what Hill et al 2002 & Franco et al 2006 have found by comparing recent surveys with the random historical data. It is possible that some of the lower altitude historical records are mis-identifed Scotch Argus which looks very similar to but is somewhat larger than the Mountain Ringlet. And it is also the case that many historical records are just four-figure grid references indicating that the recorder was not sure where they saw the butterfly on a mountain, so it is impossible to determine an accurate altitude from such records.

So this survey is designed to get Mountain Ringlet observations for which accurate altitude measurements can be obtained and to compare data from a range of altitudes. Another important aim is to get data on the preferred habitat of Mountain Ringlet as it can be found on a range of habitat types and some studies have suggested it prefers wetter boggier areas.

South (1923) comments that the Small Mountain Ringlet as it was known then is rarely found below about 1500ft - ~450m in the Lake District. It was first known in Britain in 1809 when it was found at Ambleside but was not recorded in Scotland until 1844 when it was discovered in Perthshire. South (1923) says, "It is now known to occur, sometimes in abundance on Ben Nevis and other adjacent hills, also in suitable spots and the proper elevation around Lochs Rannoch and Vennachar, as well as in the Tay district and Argyleshire". More recently, Asher et al (2002) states that the Mountain Ringlet occurs mainly at altitudes of 500-700 m in the Lake District and 350-900 m in Scotland and in brackets, that in some years it is seen as low as 70 m and as high as 1000 m. Futter et al (2006) also gives 350-1000 m as the altitude range for Mountain Ringlet, so to be sure of determining the minimum altitude of colonies, it is recommended that searches commence from about ~250 m.

So the survey methodology described below is designed to obtain Mountain Ringlet counts from several different altitudes on a mountain and by combining data from different mountains, it should be possible to determine the current minimum altitude of colonies much more accurately than from the sparse and sporadic historical records. And today, we have the wonderful technology of GPS to record the position and altitude of each Mountain Ringlet seen and this should enable a very accurate assessment of which altitudes peak populations occur and the minimum altitude of colonies.

Methodology

The aim is to survey different altitudes of the south-facing hillsides (and flat boggy areas on the south-side of mountains) of each mountain using a number of 200m long transects. The south-facing aspect of each mountain can be divided into a number of different 1km squares which are listed in the Table below. It is recommended that within each 1km square, two 200 m long transects are surveyed but it is of course up to the discretion of the volunteer how many transects are done. The relevant OS map for the mountain you want to survey will be required to do this survey. The lowest point/start of each transect ideally should be recorded so that it can be re-visited in another year. If you have a personal GPS device, an 8 figure OS grid reference would be ideal. If you don't, please estimate your location within a 1 km square as best you can and provide a 6 figure grid reference.

Previous studies have noted that adult Mountain Ringlet tend to be confined to dry gullies and gullies containing streams when the weather is poor or marginal but they will fly widely across hillsides when the weather is warm. Transects should be undertaken along these dry gully lines or along streams (BUT avoid waterfalls) which are widespread on hillsides and are created by water erosion during and after heavy rain.

Three habitat types have been identified and each transect needs to be allocated to one of these three habitats:

Along each 200 m long transect, the following information should be recorded.

The following pro-forma should be used to record the data collected along each transect: Mountain Ringlet Survey Form..

But if you prefer to send in more limited data by email, then please with basic information including 6 figure OS map reference, date and counts of Mountain Ringlet.

It would also be appreciated if a volunteer timesheet could be completed if you participate in this survey. If you let Butterfly Conservation know about the hours you have worked, we can claim your time as match funding against our grants.

RECORDING TRACKS & WAYMARKS WITH A GPS: If you have a more advanced GPS device which allows you to download tracks and waypoints to a computer, then it would be brilliant if you could use these facilities to record your track on a mountain and to record a waypoint for each Mountain Ringlet you see anywhere on the mountain (not just along transects). If you see more than one butterfly within a couple of metres, just record this as one waypoint but record actual numbers on the transect recording form if seen while doing a transect. This would provide superb information on the distribution of Mountain Ringlet on a mountain. To be comparable with data collected by other volunteers, some standard settings are required: set position to be recorded as British National Grid and altitude in metres. Once your track and waymarks are downloaded to your computer, please save as a text (TAB delimited) file or Excel worksheet without editing, and . But the Mountain Ringlet Survey Forms should be completed too and sent to the address on the form.

COLLECTION OF MOUNTAIN INVERTEBRATES: the Mountain Ringlet data collected during these volunteer surveys in 2008 form part of a wider research project funded by Scottish Natural Heritage, National Museums of Scotland, National Trust for Scotland, the John Muir Trust & Butterfly Conservation to increase the knowledge and understanding of Scotland's montane invertebrate fauna. So while you are out on the hills at any time of year, collections of mountain invertebrates such as spiders, beetles, flies, wasps & bugs (not butterflies or moths) would be most welcome. The collection methodology is shown below:

Dr Graham E Rotheray, Curator of Insects, National Museums of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF Tel +44 (0)131.247.4243 Fax +44 (0)131.220.4819

Mountain Safety

A moderate level of fitness is required for this survey which involves ascending and descending mountain slopes over a number of hours if several 1km squares are to be surveyed. Also, the standard mountain safety advice applies.

Data from any Scottish mountain would be welcome as this butterfly is certainly under-recorded. The mountains below are simply listed as examples within the Glasgow & SW Scotland branch area which could be surveyed and also give an indication of how many 1 km squares may be found on the south-side of mountains. Regardless of which mountain you select, the key issue is that a number of transects are obtained per mountain covering a range of altitudes. This will provide information on which altitudes peak populations occur and what the current minimum altitude of Mountain Ringlet colonies is.

Introduction

Distribution Map
(Click for bigger image)

Description

Mountain Ringlet Upperwing

Scotch Argus Upperwing

Credit: Jim Asher

Credit: Jim Black

Mountain Ringlet Underwing

Scotch Argus Underwing

Credit: Jim Asher

Credit: Jim Asher

When to Do?

Where to Do?

Which Altitudes to Survey?

Methodology

Mountain Safety

Example Mountains to survey in Dunbartonshire, Stirlingshire & Argyll

Mountain

Grid Reference
(Click for OS map)

1km Squares to be surveyed

References

Butterfly Conservation
saving butterflies, moths and their habitats

Introduction

Distribution Map (Click for bigger image)

Description

Mountain Ringlet Upperwing

Scotch Argus Upperwing

Credit: Jim Asher

Credit: Jim Black

Mountain Ringlet Underwing

Scotch Argus Underwing

Credit: Jim Asher

Credit: Jim Asher

When to Do?

Where to Do?

Which Altitudes to Survey?

Methodology

Mountain Safety

Example Mountains to survey in Dunbartonshire, Stirlingshire & Argyll

Mountain

Grid Reference (Click for OS map)

1km Squares to be surveyed

References

Distribution Map
(Click for bigger image)

Grid Reference
(Click for OS map)