
It’s not just smooth snakes, slow worms and sand lizards that are returning as a result of Stephen Dean’s conservation work on Hambledon Common. The latest exciting arrival is the Silver-studded Blue butterfly.
On July 4th Harry Clarke, butterfly recorder for Surrey, visited Hambledon and Buss’s Commons. As well as the usual Meadow Brown and Large Skipper, he found two Small Coppers and, best of all, two Silver-studded Blues. The Silver-studded Blue is a rare heathland butterfly, confined to small colonies in England and Wales. It owes its name to the male whose wings are blue with a dark border on the upper side and black, orange and green spots (“studs”) and flecks on the underside. The female is brown and, like the male, also has distinct metallic spots on her hind wings.
Silver-studied Blues have declined substantially since the 1970s and are now of conservation concern; so finding them on Hambledon Common is especially good news. They are dependent on the Small Black Ant (Lasius niger) throughout their larval and pupal stages. The ants feed on the honeydew-like liquid secreted by the larvae. In return, the ants take the larvae down into their nests and protect them. The ants nest in bare un-shaded spots such as those parts of the Common where rabbits keep the vegetation short and expose areas of open ground. The butterflies emerge in June and feed on the nectar of the bell heather and crossleaved heath, which are in flower during their flight season.