The ancient woodland relics of Bannam’s Wood, Coughton Park, Morgrove Coppice, and Spernal Park are of massive potential, and we are likely to become a top national site for this butterfly within a few years. Matthew’s overall impression from his surveys is that there is a vast, almost overwhelming, potential for purple emperor butterflies around the Heart of England Forest. The future for purple emperor in the Forest The best time to see them close-up is early in the season, around the end of June and the start of July, when they descend from their territories in the morning to feed on animal poo. Your best chance would be on oaks along the south-eastern edge of the Morgrove Coppice car park where the permissive path enters the woodland, especially around the small pond. Spotting tipsĪs these butterflies spend most of their time out of sight at the top of oak trees, they are notoriously difficult to spy. Matthew also believes the purple emperor population is much greater than we know around the Forest, and across the UK, as they are so difficult to spot. This year, he also managed to spot the first purple emperor larvae in a sallow at Giddings Wood in Dorsington, which is promising for future populations. There are burgeoning sallows lining both sides of Spernal Lane Matthew anticipates there will be up to twelve males here using the best roadside oaks during peak season, massive by purple emperor standards, as well as other oaks along the lane.įrom the suitable habitats at Alne Wood, Badbury Hill and Coughton Park, Matthew also predicts there are males residing there. Most of our sightings have been around Spernal as it is closest to Oversley Wood, has masses of sallow, and many veteran oak trees. This includes some of our ancient and mature woodlands, like Bannam’s Wood, Spernal Park, and Morgrove Coppice. The purple emperor is most common in areas of the Forest where sallows have been planted or naturally grow, as they are the main foodplant for its caterpillars. The butterfly’s colonisation of Warwickshire may also have occurred from populations near the county boundary in Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. It then turned up again in the Forest in Bannam’s Wood in 2017. The species was first noted in the Forest in 2015 at Spernal Park, presumably having colonised from Oversley Wood during the excellent purple emperor season of 2013. The purple emperor was first introduced into Warwickshire in 2004, when 80 captive-bred adults were released into Oversley Wood, just south of Alcester, as well as woodland near Coventry. Where did the purple emperor butterfly come from?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |