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Northern Ireland’s countryside is celebrating a significant success story this year as the Marsh Fritillary butterfly has experienced a remarkable resurgence, attributed to favorable warm weather and dedicated conservation actions. Once common throughout the UK and Ireland, the species suffered a dramatic decline during the last century due to evolving farming methods. However, sustained efforts by the Butterfly Conservation charity, working closely with local landowners, have led to substantial increases in the numbers of silken caterpillar nests, a key indicator of the butterfly’s presence and health. The charity emphasizes that while good weather helps, it alone cannot reverse the long-term losses seen without active habitat restoration.
The Marsh Fritillary depends exclusively on the Devil’s-bit Scabious plant, which populates various grassland and heathland environments, many of which are maintained by cattle grazing. Throughout the 20th century, these habitats suffered severe reduction due to shifts in agricultural practices. Rose Cremin, a conservation manager at Butterfly Conservation, has collaborated with farmers across Northern Ireland, guiding them on optimal grazing practices and grass management to foster an environment conducive to the butterfly’s survival. She notes that weather impacts the butterfly only in the short term and stresses that “More importantly for the species survival, and for it to thrive, is really the appropriate management of land by farmers and the land managers to ensure that the habitat is right, that its food plant is there in abundance, and that the sward (grass) height suits for the female to lay its eggs.”
Every autumn, Butterfly Conservation’s volunteers conduct detailed surveys at managed habitats to monitor the species’ progress by counting larval webs, which are communal nests spun by caterpillars around the Devil’s-bit Scabious plants. These webs often contain anywhere between 20 and 100 caterpillars, which feed on the surrounding foliage before moving to new plants, leaving behind identifiable trails of abandoned nests. Although specific locations are kept confidential to protect the butterflies, the charity reports impressive growth in larval web numbers at survey sites this year. For example, one site recorded 53 nests compared to 24 the previous year, while another farm saw an increase from 24 to 139 nests. These encouraging results highlight the success of ongoing collaboration between volunteers, farmers, and landowners, according to Ms. Cremin, who described the findings as “great to see” and proof that their “years of fantastic efforts… are paying off.”
The Marsh Fritillary’s life cycle contributes to its vulnerability; it is a univoltine species, producing only one brood annually over its year-long lifespan. The caterpillars overwinter communally in silken webs known as hibernacula, later pupating in spring before emerging as adult butterflies ready to reproduce. This single-generation-per-year strategy means that any disruption to its habitat or food source can have significant impacts on population numbers. In fact, between 1985 and 2019, the butterfly’s range shrank by 43%. This decline reflects a broader trend affecting butterfly populations in general, with approximately 80% experiencing reductions in either their abundance or distribution since the 1970s
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