On 11 July 2013, Royal Mail issued a very nice stamp set which featured 10 butterflies to highlight the plight of threatened species. This stamp set was illustrated by famous artist Richard Lewington. Many species of UK butterflies have been reduced in the recent years. Fortunately, thanks to some intensive conservation efforts, a number of threatened species, such as the Marsh Fritillary, have increased. The 10 UK species of butterflies which were selected to be featured are amongst the more endangered, common and familiar.
Details of the butterflies (on the FDC):
- Comma: Has distinctive ragged-shaped wings and white comma marks on the underside. Once a rarity but now widely seen. Habitat: Woodlands, gardens and hedgerows.
- Orange-Tip: Harbinger of spring, males have bright orange wing tips and wander through the countryside looking for a mate. Habitat: Woodland rides, lanes and gardens.
- Small Copper: Males are feisty, chasing other insects from their territory; females search for sorrel or dock plants on which to lay eggs. Habitat: Open spaces, especially rough grasslands.
- Chalkhill Blue: Appearing in high-summer when groups of milky-blue males can be seen feeding from deep purple flowers. Habitat: Chalk and limestone hillsides.
- Swallowtail: The largest species in the UK, it can be found skimming reedbeds and open water. Females lay the eggs on milk parsley. Habitat: Open Fenlands.
- Purple Emperor: Elusive and highly prized, males have an electric purple sheen, which the females lack. Eggs are laid in sallow bushes. Habitat: Broadleaved forests.
- Marsh Fritillary: Attractively chequered, this is one of the UK's fastest-declining butterflies. Habitat: Damp meadows and flowery downland.
- Brimstone: One of the first buterflies to appear in the spring. Males are sulphur yellow. Females lay eggs on buckthorns. Habitat: throughout the countryside.
- Red Admiral: Immigrant from Southern Europe and North Africa. Dramatically coloured and attracted to garden flowers such as buddleia. Habitat: All habitats.
- Marbled White: Distinctively chequered, this sedentary butterfly can be seen in high summer flapping lazily in the sun. Habitat: Flowery grassland, woodland rides, and verges.
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