This
rare species was only discovered in 1828. Now the population is enjoying a boom
Fri
29 Jun 2018 21.30 BSTLast modified on Fri 29 Jun 201822.56 BST
The black
hairstreak is a dark, elusive and rather plain little
butterfly. And yet it inspires great passion, and not just because of its
rarity.
There’s
something deeply restful and lovely about this midsummer insect, especially
when it lets you creep close and admire it sunning itself on blackthorn.
It
only flies for a couple of weeks in June, and guidebooks say it is only found
in middle England woodlands, roughly between Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire.
But
this butterfly has bamboozled experts since it was belatedly discovered in 1828
and this June has seen a glorious population explosion. Black hairstreaks have
been discovered on many new sites, including miles from their heartland –
in East Sussex.
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