Marsh fritillary reintroduction

The last marsh fritillary butterfly disappeared from north Hampshire's meadows in 1996, but partnership work has helped return the species to its former haunts.

The marsh fritillary is one of our most bright and beautiful butterflies, and was once widespread across Britain. However like many pollinators, the species suffered from years of habitat loss and degradation, and locally went extinct two decades ago.

However with the generous support of Trust and Butterfly Conservation members, the Farnborough Airport Community Environmental Fund, the Ministry of Defence and the John Spedan Lewis Foundation, and by working with local experts from the Hampshire Marsh Fritillary Action Group (HMFAG), the project was able to use healthy populations elsewhere in the UK to reintroduce the marsh fritillary to suitable Trust-managed sites in north Hampshire.

A two year captive breeding and release programme formally began in September 2016, with the careful collection of 300 marsh fritillary caterpillars from several strong colonies in Dartmoor, Devon.

The caterpillars were transferred to experienced captive breeders in Hampshire and Buckinghamshire, who nurtured them through their growth and pupation stages.

In the spring of 2018, the first generation of marsh fritillaries was successfully released into Trust-managed meadows in north Hampshire. Since then, the butterflies have taken to their new habitat.

This ambitious reintroduction effort was not without its risks. Marsh fritillary populations are notoriously volatile, often subject to local extinctions. However, the combined expertise of The Wildlife Trusts, Butterfly Conservation, and the Hampshire Marsh Fritillary Action Group (HMFAG) has been instrumental in creating a network of suitable habitats. These efforts have given the marsh fritillary the best possible chance to thrive and form a resilient population in the region once again.

Support marsh fritillary butterflies

Together we can continue to protect wild havens for this beautiful species. Support our work to protect marsh fritillary butterflies and other species across our counties by donating to our conservation work.

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