Speckled Wood in Yorkshire

[Nick Greatorex-Davies]

Yes, Speckled Wood (Parage aegeria) as you probably know has been
expanding its range since 1940 and has continued to expand eastwards
and northwards in the UK in recent years (colonised about 18 UK
Butterfly Monitoring Scheme sites) and according to the Butterflies
for the New Millennium provisonal atlas (March 1999) is well up
through the central part of Yorkshire. 10 km squares which have recent
records in the area you mention include SE (44) / 34, 35, 36, 43, 44,
45 and 53.

Jane Hill et al have recently published a paper which you may find
interesting, in which they use a 'climate response surface' model to
investigate distribution changes of the Speckled Wood and conclude
that these changes are likely to be due to the current warmer climatic
conditions we have been experiencing.  Models show potential for
further expansion in range into as yet uncolonised areas of habitat
that have become, or are likely to become (given further climatic
warming), climatically suitable for the species. They have done
similar work on species such as the Hedge Brown (Pyronia tithonus) and
Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) which are also (among others)
currently expanding their range in the UK, but this work is not yet
published.

Hill, J.K., Thomas, C.D. & Huntley, B. (1999). Climate and habitat
availability determine 20th century changes in a butterfly's range
margin. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, 266, 1197-1206.

Regards

Nick Greatorex-Davies


Mr J Nick Greatorex-Davies
(Butterfly Monitoring Scheme co-ordinator)
Institute of Terrestrial Ecology
Monks Wood
Abbots Ripton
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire PE17 2LS  UK

Tel: (+44) (0) 1487 773 381
Fax: (+44) (0) 1487 773 467
E-mail: n.greatorex-davies at ite.ac.uk

>>> "Dave Chesmore" <e.d.chesmore at E-ENG.HULL.AC.UK> 06/09/99 10:51:51
>>>
Hello

Does anyone know the current distribution of the Speckled Wood
(Parage aegeria) in Yorkshire?

The reason for this enquiry is that I found 2 on 4 September very
near to Holme on Spalding Moor between York and Leeds.

Thanks.

Dave Chesmore