The status and conservation of the butterfly Plebejus argus L. (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in North West Britain |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK;2. Antarctic Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn, Wellington, New Zealand;1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, PR China;2. Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, PR China;1. Protein Structure-Function and Engineering Laboratory, Fundación Instituto Leloir and IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, 1405 Buenos Aires, Argentina;2. Protein Physiology Laboratory, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales and IQUIBICEN-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina;1. Department of Agricultural Sciences, AFBE Division, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Naples, Italy;2. Department of Agricultural Sciences, BPSAF Division, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Naples, Italy;3. Task Force on Microbiome Studies, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy;4. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California Riverside, CA, USA;5. The Interdepartmental Center for Environmental Research (C.I.R.AM.), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy |
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| Abstract: | A survey was made of the declining butterfly, Plebejus argus L., in North West Britain in 1983. Twenty-six colonies were found on limestone grassland, many of them large. Twenty colonies were found on heathland, but most were relatively small. One large colony that inhabits mossland was rediscovered. P. argus occupies early succesional habitat at low altitude, predominantly on sheltered southerly facing slopes. Through biotope loss and fragmentation and declining traditional management, suitable habitat is created only sporadically in modern Britain. Some of these habitats (especially on heathland) are short lived. Thus, many colonies are transient. As P. argus forms closed colonies and rarely flies far, the decline appears to be a compound effect of reduced amounts of suitable habitat and inability to colonise them: the distances are often too great. Active conservation is required to check the decline of P. argus, especially habitat management and also introduction to suitable habitat now beyond the dispersal range of P. argus. Recommendations are made. |
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