Green Hairstreak butterfly spotted on the Commons

We are delighted to have had reports of Green Hairstreak butterflies on Putney Heath over the last two weeks - the first recorded sightings on the Commons in almost 40 years.  

 

It is a stunning butterfly that is unique in the UK for its solid green coloured underwing, which can appear almost metallic.  It always rests with its wings closed so its brown upper wing is rarely seen.  

Males and females look similar but can generally be told apart by their behaviour - rival males may be seen in a spiralling flight close to shrubs, wile the less conspicuous females are more often encountered while laying eggs.

Forming colonies that can be as small as a dozen in number, the Green Hairstreak favours a scrub habitat but can also be found on a range of other habitats such as chalk grassland, woodland rides and clearings, heathland, moorland, bogs, railway cuttings, old quarries and rough, scrubby grassland.

Although distribution is fairly widespread throughout the UK, Green Hairstreaks are rarely seen in London.  The species has also undergone local losses in several other regions and its population is declining sufficiently for it to be on the watch list of those organisations such as Butterfly Conservation who monitor our native butterfly species,.  

Peter Haldane, our Conservation Officer, commented "Although we aim to restore the heathland on the Commons, areas of light scattered scrub can enhance the wiildlife value of the heath. Native tree species support a wide range of invertebrates, such as the Green Hairstreak, and for this reason we manage the heathland on a cyclical basis to ensure we can achieve a good balance that will benefit all the Commons' wildlife." 

There have also been reports of sightings at Barnes Common, so it is also worth keeping an eye out for them at Putney Lower Common.    

 

Information courtesy of Butterfly Conservation and UK Butterflies