Spring is a busy time for us as the conservation science team at the Royal Entomological Society (RES). Each year we work on Large Blue Butterfly sites in Somerset and Gloucestershire, installing temperature data loggers which will monitor soil temperature between April and October every 20 minutes.
Spring is also the time of year where we undertake ant surveys of one particular, very important species Myrmica sabuleti to ensure the populations are strong and robust. Myrmica sabuleti is essential for the lifecycle of the Large Blue Butterfly, and without stable populations of this ant species, the Large Blue would not be present in Somerset and Gloucestershire.
Alongside our projects in the UK, we have recently started work on a project in Denmark, co-funded by the European Union, called ‘LIFE ORCHIDS’. This project focuses on restoring and connecting chalk grassland sites on the island of Møns and securing a favourable conservation status of a selection of species, specifically concentrating on orchids and the Large Blue Butterfly.
There is one population of Large Blue Butterfly left in Denmark which is on the island of Møns and we are working with Danish colleagues to help secure this population and improve further habitats to enable re-introductions to occur within the next 4 years.
David Simcox and Sarah Meredith with Danish colleague Ditte Gammeltoft from Naturstyrelsen
We have visited Møns twice this year and have installed temperature data loggers, undertaken ant surveys and monitored the presence of the Large blue larval food plants, Thyme and Marjoram. We will be visiting Møns later in June when the Large blue butterfly with be flying and monitoring the population.
“As I write this, Large Blues are starting to emerge on UK sites and we will be monitoring adult Large Blues in Somerset and Gloucestershire over the next 6 weeks.”
– Sarah Meredith, Conservation Project Officer at the Royal Entomological Society
With huge thanks to the generous funding received from the April 2025 Big Give campaign, we can continue to support the endangered Large Blue Butterfly.
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