The Nature of Scotland – Autumn 2011 – Issue 13

NEWS
Purple haze in Paisley
A colony of rare butterflies was discovered this summer at a
new site on the outskirts of Glasgow.
The purple hairstreaks were found in Shaw Wood
in Thornly Park, Paisley. The discovery highlights the
recent success of the butterfly in Scotland. The species
is widespread in parts of England but far less common in
Scotland.
The purple hairstreak is one of our most beautiful and
overlooked butterflies. The male boasts striking, deep-purple
upper wings and tiny black tail streamers.
Purple hairstreaks often go unnoticed as they’re typically
found in tree tops. They live in self-contained colonies,
always on oak trees, and rarely take flight except on sunny
days.
“The purple hairstreak has been doing quite well
recently in Scotland,” commented Tom Prescott, species
conservation officer for Butterfly Conservation.
“In fact it may be under-recorded as it’s quite tricky to
spot. It normally involves lying on your back and looking for a
small silhouette fluttering around the top of a tree! Certainly,
the butterfly has shown evidence of moving north in recent
years, with a colony even being found in the Highlands.”
www.snh.gov.uk 19