Lycaena dispar batavus(Large copper)

[daveuk]

Lycaena dispar batavus.(Large copper)

These are two pairs from Woodwalton Fen Cambridgeshire England-the data is for October 1982. I learned recently from another member of the forum that this introduced subspecies is now sadly extinct in England like it's predecessor L dispar dispar.

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[daveuk]

Undersides

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[Deleted]

ovely specimens Dave, it is a sad day indeed if this stunning butterfly was never to grace our country again, to see them freshly emerged from the pupa is a memory never to forget.

[nomad]

To maintain batavus at Woodwalton, required a lot of help from a lot of people. In the end because batavus could not naturally sustain itself at Woodwalton, the fen being too small, help was withdrawn in the early 1990s and the butterfly became extinct. However, I have heard rumours that batavus has been or is going to be released in a secret location in the Norfolk Broads. Now is this true or not, let us hope that it is. Being a larger area, hopefully this new introduction?? will be self sufficient and the butterfly will thrive. 

[frohawksghost]

May 7, 2015 20:30:16 GMT nomad said:

To maintain batavus at Woodwalton, required a lot of help from a lot of people. In the end because batavus could not naturally sustain itself at Woodwalton, the fen being too small, help was withdrawn in the early 1990s and the butterfly became extinct. However, I have heard rumours that batavus has been or is going to be released in a secret location in the Norfolk Broads. Now is this true or not, let us hope that it is. Being a larger area, hopefully this new introduction?? will be self sufficient and the butterfly will thrive. 

I sincerely hope this comes to pass; it's long struck me that there must be suitable habitat these days away from the former fragment at Woodwalton. I wonder, Norfolk aside, whether the extensive wetland areas that are now being managed for conservation on the Somerset Levels would have some suitable habitat? 

[nomad]

Yes, I agree Jon, that there is a large enough habitat at Sedgemoor and elsewhere in the Somerset Levels and this was a historical locality. Another possible site, may be in areas of the Great Fen project in Cambridgeshire if suitable habitat is created,although this may be for the future.