Farmers can help conserve the Marsh Fritillary through Agri-environment schemes

Across Europe the Marsh Fritillary butterfly is a threatened species. Its conservation in Northern Ireland is a priority and forms an integral part of the UK's commitment to the Convention on Biological Diversity. A recent partnership initiative between farmers, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) and the charity Butterfly Conservation (BC) is benefitting Marsh Fritillary conservation, particularly in the south west of NI.

DARD staff from Countryside Management Delivery Branch reported 23 sites containing the Marsh Fritillary’s only food plant, the distinctive ‘Blue Button’ (or Devil’s-bit Scabious). Then, butterfly specialists from Butterfly Conservation, funded by NIEA, confirmed active breeding Marsh Fritillary colonies at seven of the sites by locating the conspicuous webs formed by the Marsh Fritillary’s caterpillars. The seven sites are new and previously unrecorded for this butterfly in Northern Ireland. Butterfly Conservation will soon contact the farmers of all the sites to let them know the results of the surveys. As the caterpillars’ webs can be hard to find particularly on large remote areas, they also intend to re-survey all the sites to hopefully confirm more of them as new sites where Marsh Fritillary is breeding.

The new colonies occur mainly on extensively grazed pastures in Fermanagh and west Tyrone rich in ‘Blue Button’. Such pastures have largely disappeared from other parts of Northern Ireland through agricultural improvement and intensive grazing. The farmers who will have breeding Marsh Fritillary colonies confirmed on their lands will be encouraged to manage these sites as part of their Agri-environment Scheme agreement, for which they will receive a management payment. Many scheme participants are already managing and creating habitats which benefit insects and other farm wildlife. Thus they play a valuable role in helping to conserve biodiversity.

As 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity why not consider enhancing the wildlife habitats on your farm?

For more information contact your Countryside Management Delivery Adviser at your local DARD office, or visit our website www.dardni.gov.uk/CountrysideManagement.  

A free leaflet on Marsh Fritillary explains the butterfly’s ecology and life cycle, and the management of its habitats. It is available at www.butterfly-conservation.org/northernireland

A field of Devil’s-bit Scabious, perfect habitat for the Marsh Fritillary butterfly whose caterpillars form distinctive webs (inserts).