The Small Heath is one of our most widespread butterflies, although it is rarely seen on intensive farmland. Locally, numbers and range seem stable.

Identification

This is a small and rather inconspicuous butterfly that tends to fly only in sunshine. At rest it always keeps its wings closed, so it can be easily overlooked. It is possible to confuse it with the Large Heath, which can sometimes be virtually the same size, but they are rarely seen together in Dumfries and Galloway.

Life cycle & flight period

The Small Heath can be found from mid-May until mid-July, peaking in early June. It is possible that in some years on warm sites it fits in a second generation, as it does in southern Britain. Overwinters as a caterpillar.

Larval foodplant

As with many grass-feeding butterflies, on hatching from their eggs the tiny caterpillars feed on fine-leaved species like Sheep’s Fescue, but later on, and after spending the winter deep down in the vegetation, the older caterpillars switch to coarser grasses such as Cock’s-foot.

Habitats

The Small Heath occurs mostly on natural grasslands where the grass sward is not too tall.