Belfast Hills key species leaflet - butterflies and moths

Recording Card

No Date Location (and Grid Ref if possible) Notes

Name ................................................................ Tel ................................................................... Email ..................................................................

Species

Common Blue

Holly Blue

Marsh Fritillary

Dark green Fritillary

Graying

Orange-tip

Narrow-bordered Bee Hawkmoth

Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet

Other

Options For Recording • Submit your records online www.habitas.org.uk/records/bhp and add pictures as it helps with verifying the record. Records go directly to Northern Ireland’s Centre for Environmental Data and Recording (CEDaR) and are used for conservation purposes

Good places to see these key butterflies and moths in the Belfast Hills

Help protect our key upland butterflies and moths

Ligoniel Dams | Slievenacloy | Cave Hill |

Why: Northern Ireland has 25 species of butterfly and over 1,000 species of moths of which several are in rapid decline and need urgent conservation. They are excellent indicators of the health of our environment as they react very quickly to change. Butterflies and moths are not only beautiful to look at but they have a vital role to play in feeding us as they pollinate crops we eat. They also are a valuable food source for other wildlife. Recording these declining species in the Hills will help us monitor their numbers and ensure their protection.

Colin Glen

Check our website for details of how to get to the sites by car

• Fill in the form left and put the tear- off section into the box at leaflet dispenser as you leave, or post it back to us.

• Go to www.belfasthills.org and get involved by clicking ‘Record Biodiversity’ • Additional help with identification can be found with iSpot, Butterfly Conservation or the Butterfly and Moths of Northern Ireland website www.habitats.org.uk/moths/

KEY BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS

How: When visiting the Belfast Hills go prepared to record butterflies and day flying moths and send your sightings into us or CEDaR using one of the methods shown on the back cover.

FIELD NOTES

Training and Volunteering: Check the websites of Belfast Hills Partnership, Centre for Environmental data and Recording www.nmni.com/cedar and Butterfly Conservation Northern Ireland www.bcni.org.uk for training, surveying and volunteering events. BCNI have a good butterfly guide and identification section too.

Belfast Hills Partnership, 9 Social Economy Village, Hannahstown Hill, Belfast BT17 0XS Tel 028 90603466 Email info@belfasthills.org www.belfasthills.org Top Tips for Watching Wildlife

Other butterflies and moths you may see: Red Admiral | Speckled Wood | Peacock | Ringlet Poplar Hawk Moth | Small Tortoiseshell | Golden Y Clouded Yellow | Small Heath | Painted Lady Permit No 80257. This material is based upon Crown Copyright and is reproduced with the permission of Land & Property Services under delegated authority from the Controller of her Majesty’s Stationery Office Crown Copyright and database rights 2009.

• Check the weather forecast and dress accordingly • Butterflies only fly on warm days • Keep dogs on leads • Find somewhere to sit and be patient • Don’t disturb any wildlife or damage their habitat • Follow the country code • Leave no trace behind you • Take care not to trespass on private land

USEFUL GEAR TO BRING Camera, Mobile phone, Notebook and pen, Butterfly identification guide

Key Birds of Prey Become a wildlife detective and help us find and record these declining species Become a wildlife detective and help us find and record these declining species

GRAYLING * GRAYLING

MALE

NARROWBORDERED BEE HAWK MOTH

FEMALE

There are plenty of other butterflies and moths to look out for. See flipside of leaflet for list.

HUMMINGBIRD HAWK MOTH

MEADOW BROWN

Tracy & Richard Fox (BC) Nick Edge

Seen May to October.

Habitat Sunny sheltered areas where Bird’s-foot Trefoil grows.

ID Male is deep blue, female more brown with orange spots on underwing. Low flying.

Similar to Holly Blue which is lighter blue and flies higher around bushes.

Nick Edge

UNDERWING

Martin Warren (BC)

B Noake (BC)

Seen May to July. Look out for caterpillars sunning themselves on their web in early spring.

Andy Seely

HOLLY BLUE

UrbanWildlifeUK

ID Mixed orange and cream square pattern on upperwing. Jagged cream and orange bands on underwing.

ID Black and grey striping to front of upper wing. Cryptic grey-brown pattern on underwing which acts as camouflage. Often seen on hot, sunny rocks with wings closed and eye spot hidden. Similar to Meadow Brown which prefer grassy places.

Fact Caterpillars feed on grasses.

Fact Larvae live together in silky web, hibernating through the winter and emerging to pupate in spring. They feed on Devil’s-bit Scabious.

Seen Mid May to mid June. Best seen in late morning / Habitat Wild flower rich peatland and grassland.

Habitat Bare ground, rock, dry grassland and heath.

ID Translucent wings and two black bands on abdomen.

Larger than a bee. Similar to Hummingbird Hawk Moth, a migrant that hovers around flowers.

Fact Larvae feed on Field or Devil’s-bit Scabious.

NARROW-BORDERED FIVE-SPOT BURNET MOTH

ORANGE-TIP MALE

Mark Coller

early afternoon.

Seen June to September.

H abitat Tussocky, wildflower-rich grassland with Devil’s-bit Scabious plant, edges of bogs and fens.

Fact Larvae feed on Bird’s-foot Trefoil and other legumes.

Tim Melling

NARROW-BORDED FIVE SPOT BURNET MOTH

FEMALE

SIX -SPOT BURNET MOTH

DARK GREEN FRITILLARY * Stephen Rutt

CINNABAR MOTH

David_G_Green (BC)

Les Hill

Joe Lenton

Seen Late March to July.

David Pashley Mark Coller

Seen April to October.

Habitat Open wooded areas along hedgerows.

Seen June to September.

ID Bright blue with silvery underside with black spots.

Similar to Common Blue but has no orange spots on underwing. Flies high around bushes.

Habitat Flower rich grassland and cutaway bogs.

Facts They often have a second brood and as their name suggests, their food plant is the flowers of the Holly bush.

ID Large and powerful with strong flight. Dull orange upper wing and green underwing with large silver spots.

Fact Larvae feed on Wild Pansy and Violet.

Habitat Damp grassy places and woodland rides.

ID Males have prominent orange patch on fore wing.

Females are plain with a dot and a black tip to their wings. Both sexes have green marbling on underwing. Because the female is very similar to several other species of white butterflies, only record male Orange-tips.

Fact Larvae feed on Cuckoo Flower.

Seen June to August.

Habitat Wild flower rich grassland.

ID Bluish black wings with five red spots on each. Similar to Six-spot Burnet Moths but have narrower, more pointed wings. Also to Cinnabar Moths* which are similar in colour but have stripes, spots and brilliant red underwings.

Fact Larvae feed on Bird’s–foot Trefoil and other legumes.

Those marked with * are on the Northern Ireland Priority Species List because they are rare or in decline.

9 Social Economy Village Hannahstown Hill Belfast BT17 0XS

CATERPILLAR WEB

COMMON BLUE

NARROW–BORDERED BEE HAWK MOTH*

Belfast Hills Partnership

MARSH FRITILLARY *

Affix Stamp

Key species to look out for