Hi Trevor, yes, they had been there for years until the landfill became a reality which is a pity because it was a cracking site. Rumour has it that just prior to the development many were collected up and moved. Who knows!?
Evening Wurzel - It is difficult, nay impossible, to get into what was the core part of this site with heavy vehicles working some weekends too. The butterflies were spotted right on the periphery of the site (only 2 females and 1 male) so it is difficult to know how many are actually still there. I am hoping they may disperse a little as there is plenty of Plantain nearby but a couple of years ago Andy and myself searched for larval webs here without success.
Yes, it is difficult to assess the true size of the population here Martin and whether it is big enough to sustain a viable colony. There is a huge amount of plantain both inside and outside of the site and it would be great if they were still thriving somewhere here. Smashing shot btw
I suppose that's a possibility Mark but my thoughts are probably not. I have been reliably informed that there has been a small satellite colony (is that even a word?) in this particular area for many years, existing alongside (and possibly mixing with?) the main colony. When I first saw them in this area I thought perhaps they had dispersed from the main site as they are always seen initially quite late into the season but my feelings are that despite not finding any larval webs, they are probably breeding in this area.
It's criminal what they've done to this area David. A ready-made wildlife reserve has been trashed whilst they continue to try to create similar areas elsewhere!!!