Welcome to Butterfly Conservation Warwickshire
The Warwickshire branch of Butterfly Conservation works in partnership with land owners, local authorities, conservation bodies, businesses and the local community to raise awareness about the threats facing our butterflies, moths, their habitats and our natural environment. We provide advice and practical help on how to protect these and other threatened wildlife in the region. We challenge local authorities and business to ensure they consider the natural world upon which we all depend when making decisions about planning applications and land use.
Several butterflies in the region such as the Small Blue, Wood White and Dark Green Fritillary are particularly vulnerable due to habitat loss and population fragmentation resulting in small isolated colonies which become increasingly susceptible to local or regional extinction.
Warwickshire also hosts a wide variety of moths including species such as Sciota hostilis which is found nowhere else in the country.
Become a member today and help us save butterflies, moths and their habitats in Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull. The branch currently has 535* members. (*Updated 20-10-2019).
Returning the Chalk Hill Blue to Warwickshire
The Chalk Hill Blue has not been a resident species in Warwickshire since the 19th century but in recent years, individual butterflies have been sighted in the south of the county. Conservation measures in neighbouring Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire have enabled the Chalk Hill Blue to recover some of its former range, meaning that colonies are now found very close to the Warwickshire border.
This innovative project will restore the threatened Chalk Hill Blue butterfly to Warwickshire after an absence of over 100 years.
Events 2019
Volunteer Conservation Work Parties (Tuesdays)
Every Tuesday throughout the year
at various locations with Mike Slater
Volunteer Conservation Work Parties (Fridays)
Every Friday throughout the year
at various locations with Mike Slater
* A guided visit to Stratford Butterfly Farm
26th January 2020
at Swan’s Nest Lane, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 7LS with Richard Lamb
* Branch Spring Social Meeting
18th April 2020
at Bourton, Draycote and Frankton Village Hall with Butterfly Conservation Warwickshire
* Emperors and Hairstreaks on Cannock Chase
1st May 2020
at The Glacial Boulder Car Park, Chase Road, WS15 2UA with Steven Cheshire
First Sightings 2019
24-07-2019 Brown Hairstreak
02-07-2019 Essex Skipper
30-06-2019 Gatekeeper
28-06-2019 Purple Emperor
28-06-2019 Clouded Yellow
28-06-2019 Purple Hairstreak
27-06-2019 Silver Washed Fritillary
20-06-2019 White Admiral
19-06-2019 White Letter Hairstreak
19-06-2019 Dark Green Fritillary
16-06-2019 Small Skipper
12-06-2019 Marbled White
09-06-2019 Ringlet
02-06-2019 Painted Lady
31-05-2019 Meadow Brown
21-05-2019 Pearl Bordered Fritillary
21-05-2019 Large Skipper
13-05-2019 Wood White
12-05-2019 Small Blue
12-05-2019 Common Blue
11-05-2019 Small Heath
05-05-2019 Brown Argus
23-04-2019 Dingy Skipper
19-04-2019 Grizzled Skipper
19-04-2019 Green Hairstreak
29-03-2019 Large White
28-03-2019 Orange Tip
27-03-2019 Green Veined White
26-03-2019 Small Copper
23-03-2019 Holly Blue
19-03-2019 Small White
27-02-2019 Speckled Wood
21-02-2019 Comma
21-02-2019 Peacock
14-02-2019 Small Tortoiseshell
14-02-2019 Brimstone
08-02-2019 Red Admiral
Latest Records
26-11-2019 at Temple Balsall Churchyard by Adrian Smith.
10-11-2019 at Ashlawn Cutting by Steven Wright.
07-11-2019 at Shipston on Stour by K & HJ Warmington.
04-11-2019 at Lime Avenue, Lillington, Leamington Spa by Richard Dinsdale.
03-11-2019 at Ryton Wood Meadows by Mike Slater.
03-11-2019 at Cuttlepool NR by Adrian Smith.
31-10-2019 at Black Bank Meadows by Eleanor Sutton.
31-10-2019 at Temple Balsall Churchyard by Adrian Smith.
30-10-2019 at Dorsington Arboretum (Heart of England Forest) by Steve Cheshire.
29-10-2019 at Little Haven by Mike Slater.
Latest News
Holy Grail of moth recording reappears in Britain
26th September 2019
Numerous recent sightings of a moth that became extinct in the UK in the 1960s, s... moreMediterranean Blue Butterfly Invades Britain
29th August 2019
Climate change is causing a striking butterfly from southern Europe to appear in ... moreButterflies bounce back in heatwave summer
8th April 2019
UK butterflies bounced back in 2018 following a string of poor years, thanks in p... moreMORE NEWSCanal adoption great for butterflies.
20th December 2017
The branch has adopted a stretch of waterway and it's making a positive impact fo... more
Amazing Volunteers
VOLUNTEERThanks to our amazing volunteer butterfly recorders here in Warwickshire, we recieved a total of 36,200 records in 2018 from 582 of our 620 tetrads (2km2). This represents an amazing 94% coverage of our region with an average of 11.5 species recorded per tetrad.
Watch Out For Tigers
SCARLET TIGERThe Scarlet Tiger (Callimorpha dominula) had a fantastic year in 2018. Record numbers of larvae were noted in the spring. Surprisingly larvae were found feeding on Wych Elm beside the car park at Charlecote Nursery, a new larval foodplant for Scarlet Tiger in the UK (M. Halsey, D.C.G. Brown).