SILVER STUDDED BLUE (PLEBEJUS ARGUS)
LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN

OBJECTIVES

To maintain a viable population of silver-studded blue at Thurstaston Common by suitable heather management

LOCAL TARGET

To achieve a self-sustaining population at Thurstaston Common without the need to re-introduce, by 2005

CURRENT STATUS

In the Cheshire region the silver-studded blue is confined to a single site at Thurstaston Common, Wirral. This colony is the result of an introduction in 1994. The species was formerly present at Bidston Hill, Wirral, but the colony was lost after the establishment of woodland on the site in the nineteenth century. During the nineteenth century, silver-studded blue could be found on heathlands from Alderley in west Cheshire to the Wirral in the east. Habitat loss throughout the county resulted in its extinction in the Cheshire region between 1921 and 1925, the last colony being in Delamere.

The species is rare away from lowland heathland in England and Wales, where it nectars on bell heather, cross-leaved heath and bird's-foot trefoil. The larva feed on common heather, bell heather, cross-leaved heath, gorse and bird's-foot trefoil. It is single brooded flying from late June to early August.

THREATS

Loss of suitable heathland habitat through inappropriate management, resulting in scrubbing over and an even-aged structure of heather and gorse.
Devastation of heather by the heather beetle.

CURRENT ACTION

Management of Thurstaston Common to benefit silver-studded blue. This management is undertaken by the National Trust and members of the Cheshire and Peak District Branch of Butterfly Conservation, many of the former Merseyside Branch who were instrumental in the introduction programme in 1994.
Ongoing monitoring at key sites.

ACTION REQUIRED IN 2006+

Continue monitoring and management of the site at Thurstaston.
Identify a further site for introduction and commence appropriate heathland management.
Liaise with West Midlands Branch of Butterfly Conservation regarding the collection of silver-studded blue from Preesheath (under English Nature's Species Recovery Programme) given a suitable site is found.

ACTION COMPLETED PREVIOUSLY

Search for a further (re) introduction site has produced negative results. There is no area of suitable habitat in the Cheshire region of a size capable of supporting a self-sustaining population without the need to continually re-introduce fresh stock to the site.
Due to lack of funds this year and no project officer no work was undertaken during the 2001/2002 winter

ACTUAL LBAP IMPLEMENTERS

Butterfly Conservation (Cheshire and Peak District)	National Trust	Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council
English Nature	rECOrd

OTHER POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTERS

CONTACT

Paul Hill, Lepidoptera & Odonata LBAP Action Group
0871 734 0111

REFERENCES

Hinde, D. C. (1993): A proposal to introduce the Silver-studded Blue Butterfly (P. argus) at Thurstaston Common, Wirral.
Hinde, D. C. (1994): Introduction of the Silver-studded Blue Butterfly (P. argus) at Thurstaston Common, Wirral.
Hinde, D. C. (1995): Progress report on the Silver-studded Blue Butterfly (P. argus) at Thurstaston Common, Wirral.
Hinde, D. C. (1996): Progress report on the Silver-studded Blue Butterfly (P. argus) at Thurstaston Common, Wirral.
Hinde, D. C. (1997): Progress report on the Silver-studded Blue Butterfly (P. argus) at Thurstaston Common, Wirral.
Hinde, D. C. (1998): Progress report on the Silver-studded Blue Butterfly (P. argus) at Thurstaston Common, Wirral.
Joy, J. (1992): Shropshire's Silver-studded Blues. The status and conservation of the Silver-studded blue (Plebejus argus) in Shropshire. Report for World Wide Fund for Nature UK.
Joy, J.: Shropshire's Silver-studded Blues Butterfly. Conservation News 51: 40-43
Joy, J.: The threat to Shropshire's Silver-studded Blues. British Butterfly Conservation Society Newsletter, West Midlands Branch 26:27-28
Ravenscroft, N. O. M. & Warren, M. S. (1996): The Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus) Species Action Plan, Butterfly Conservation, Wareham.
Rutherford, C. I. (1983): Butterflies in Cheshire 1961 - 1982, Proceedings of the Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society 1981-82 (Supplement): 1-47.
Shaw, B. (1999): The Butterflies of Cheshire, National Museums and Galleries of Merseyside, Liverpool.
Thomas, C. D. (1983): The Ecology and Status of Plebejus argus L. in North West Britain, MSc Thesis, University of Wales, Bangor.
Thomas, J. (1991): The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, Dorling Knidersley Ltd., London.