The Butterflies of Gloucestershire

Brown Hairstreak Thecla betulae
	Male, 16 August 1988	Female, 27 August 1978

Habitat

The Brown Hairstreak is a scarce species which needs open woodland or hedgerows with a lot of Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa).

Woodland ride edged by Blackthorn, a suitable habitat for Brown Hairstreak

Conservation Issues

The Brown Hairstreak depends mainly on hedgerows, and its early stages are vulnerable to their management by heavy mechanical trimming.

Destruction of hedgerows to make larger fields is also a threat to the species.

Flight Period
The adult butterflies are usually seen in August and September.

Distribution
The Brown Hairstreak has colonies in north Wiltshire, and the species has been recorded recently for certain on two occasions in Gloucestershire very close to the county border. One of these records was of an egg in winter (the eggs are quite easy to identify).
Males of the day-flying Vapourer moth are sometimes mistaken for Brown Hairstreak.
A South Gloucestershire colony appears to have died out, with no recorded sightings for many years. Early in the 20^th century the species had colonies close to Gloucester.

No map - species found in just one place