Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)

Associated Species Action Plans Dingy skipper Wall brown butterfly Associated Habitat action plans Scrub and naturally regenerating woodland Grassland Lowland Heathland Urban 'wasteland'

A generally scarce species which has always been very local within Birmingham and the Black Country but appears to be undergoing decline. Typically, it is often present at sites in. low numbers and can be overlooked. It often survives at low population levels at individual sites and caution is needed in interpreting long term trends. Its best known historical site is Sutton Park NNR where it is recorded most years although, in recent times, numbers reported have been extremely small, Away from heathland, most other remaining sites are former industrial sites where the species, is associated with warm, sheltered areas of grassland and scrub. Elsewhere in the Midlands, apart from In Gloucestershire. where the butterfly is well distributed on limestone areas, the butterfly is now increasingly hard to find. EcoRecord shows green hairstreak represented in just eight 1 km. squares with the majority of these records being pre-1990. Butterfly Conservation's West Midlands Regional Action Plan paints a similar picture with estimated decline rates ranging from 19% in Staffordshire to a massive 53% in Warwickshire. The Provisional Atlas of the Butterflies of the West Midlands shows that regionally during; the period 1995-98 green hairstreak was reported from only 114 of the 2,374 recorded tetrads.

• Over zealous scrub control on managed sites
• Decline in habitat quality on unmanaged sites due to natural succession
• Housing & industrial development
• Destruction of unimproved grassland
• Accidental fires
• Lack of grazing, for example by tethered ponies

3.1 Legal status

None

3.2 Management, research and guidance

Further work is required to ascertain the exact currant status of green hairstreak within Birmingham and the Black Country. While it appears to be undergoing decline, its elusive nature and ability to persist at low population level highlights the need to check all former sites and to establish reliable monitoring at extant sites. At the same time, there have been recent new records especially from former industrial sites within the Black Country and further searches in this area of similar habitat may prove rewarding.

Very little ecological work has been carried out on this species and the situation is complicated by the fact that the species utilises a wide range of larval foodplants, Within Birmingham and the Black Country, likely foodplants include gorse, broom, bird's-foot trefoil, perhaps more rarely bramble and, on heathland locations, bilberry. In all cases, the youngest and most tender shoots of the plants are chosen for egg-laying. Common to all sites is warmth and shelter and the presence of scrub, in most cases hawthorn. Scrub serves a twofold purpose: firstly, it helps create the warm micro-climate favoured by the butterfly; and secondly, it provides perching posts for male green hairstreaks which are strongly territorial. It is thought that like many other Lycaenids, the butterfly has an association with ants and that most caterpillars probably pupate within ants nests. This may go some way to explain the local distribution of the butterfly even at a time when areas of apparently suitable habitat were more extensive than is currently the case.

Management needs to strike a balance between ensuring areas of open and sheltered grassland remain but that enough scrub survives to maintain shelter and provide opportunities for males to establish territories, Often the same bushes are used from year to year and these key sites need to be identified and maintained where scrub management is envisaged. A mosaic of grassland with around 20% scrub cover is probably near ideal.

ACTION	Potential Deliverers		YEARS							Meets Objective No.
	Lead	Partner	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2011
5.1 Policy and legislation
Seek the inclusion of effective measures for the conservation of the green hairstreak in the preparation of Unitary Development Plans and other policy documents.	LAs	WT, BC	As UDPs and other policy documents are produced.							2
Encourage the protection of heathland, grassland and scrubland where green hairstreak occur.	LAs, EN	WT, BC								2
5.2 Site safeguard and management
Encourage the protection all surviving green hairstreak butterfly colonies.	LAs, LO	EN, WT, BC								2
Encourage the protection and management grassland and former industrial sites, aiming for 20% scrub cover to encourage and increase colonies.	LAs, LO	EN, LAs, WT								2
Seek to ensure sites with recorded colonies have management plans, which use best practice for green hairstreak butterfly conservation.	LAs, EN	WT, BC, LO								2
5.3 Advisory
Disseminate information to landowners to introduce management for green hairstreak.	BC, EN	WT, LAs, FWAG								3
Promote best practice guidelines for green hairstreak.	BC	EN, WT, LAs, FWAG								2,3,4
5.4 Future research and monitoring
Survey former locations where current status of this species is not clear.	BC	WT, LAs, LO								1
Establish monitoring at key sites to determine any change in status.	BC	WT, LAs, LO								1
Target former industrial sites to survey for the presence of this species.	BC	WT, LAs								1
Promote and support research aimed at measures to assist long-term species conservation.	BC	EN, WT, LAs								4
5.6 Communications and publicity
Raise awareness of the decline of green hairstreak butterflies and its importance in conservation management.	BC	ALL								3
Highlight the green hairstreak's ability to survive at low population levels and therefore the need for careful monitoring at former and existing sites.	BC	WT, EN								3
5.7 Links to other action plans
Scrub and naturally regenerating woodland, grassland and "urban wasteland".

This Biodiversity Action Plan will be implemented over 10 years with a first review after 5 years. A group will be set up to co-ordinate implementation and to report to the Biodiversity Steering Group. This group will meet at a minimum on a yearly basis.

Review will be carried out in conjunction with related Habitat and Species Action Plans as appropriate.

Review will consist of measuring achievement of targets. The group will, with the support of the Steering Group, develop and implement appropriate monitoring methods which will inform the review process.

The Action Plan will be revised and updated in the light of review results and any relevant changes in circumstances and/or additional information which becomes available during the review period.

In line with national guidance, the Steering Group will report to the UK Steering Group.

Joy, J. (1997) West Midlands Regional Action Plan West Midlands Butterfly Conservation

Maitland Emmet, A- (1989) The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Volume 7, Part 1 Harley Books

Thomas, J, (1991) The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland Dorling Kindersley

West Midlands Butterfly Conservation (1998) A provisional Atlas for Butterflies of the West Midlands 1995-98 West Midlands Butterfly Conservation

Biodiversity Action Plan for Birmingham and the Black Country © 2000

Printing of this publication for educational purposes is permitted, provided that copies are not made or distributed for commercial gain, and the title of the publication and its date appear. To copy otherwise, or to republish, requires specific permission from the Steering Group.