Butterflies

Of Britain’s 58 butterfly species, 33 occur in the old county of Lancashire and 31 have been found on Wildlife Trust reserves.

The commoner species find suitable breeding conditions in many areas throughout the region so may be found anywhere from nature reserves to gardens.

However, butterflies with specialised requirements are much more restricted in range, so conservationists are undertaking work in the region to ensure rare species can continue to flourish.

Coppicing work at Warton Crag Nature Reserve, for example, has enabled two species of the fritillary family to thrive as the caterpillars can bask on the freshly-coppiced woodland and feed on Dog-violet leaves.

Some of Britain’s other rarest butterflies can also be found on the limestone hills around Morecambe Bay and, as well as Warton Crag, Gait Barrows National Nature Reserve, with its extensive limestone paving, is also an ideal habitat.