Speckled Wood Butterfly

Speckled wood butterflies are relatively new arrivals in North East England, first appearing in Durham city three years ago. The species has been gradually advancing northwards for decades - perhaps in response to climate change. There are four known colonies on the university estate - in the Botanic Garden, along the footpath on the east side of John Snow House (sunlit footpaths are a favourite haunt) on the Science Site, on the east side of the hedgerow opposite the Botanic Garden car park entrance and at the southern end of the North American arboretum, on the southern edge of the university estate. Speckled wood butterflies thrive in woodland glades, where the caterpillars feed on common grasses like cock's foot and Yorkshire fog. There are two broods each year and in a good summer occasionally three, so look out for this attractive butterfly in spring, summer and autumn.

Grassland butterflies

Ringlet

Small Skipper

Small Copper

Wall Brown

Meadow Brown

These are all grassland butterflies, all photographed this summer, that have bred in the area of grassland between Mountjoy 2 and Hollingside wood, on the southern edge of the science site. The ringlet butterflies, whose caterpillars feed on grasses, are fairly recent colonists in the North East, apparently extending their range northwards in response to climate change, and produce one generation per year in late July and early August. The meadow brown – the commonest species here – begins to emerge in late June and has a flight season that extends into early September. The small skipper (seen as an adult butterfly in July) and wall brown butterflies also have larvae that feed on common grass species. The wall browns have two generations, flying in late May and in August and the small coppers, whose caterpillars feed on sorrel leaves, sometimes have three, flying in May, July and early October. So if you take a lunchtime walk through this grassland at any time between May and October there’s a good chance that you’ll see at least one of these species.