Rare UK butterfly under threat
Elm trees are home to the rare white-letter hairstreak butterfly.
A rare UK butterfly is under threat following a controversial decision to fell a 150-year-old elm tree in Sheffield.
Wildlife experts say that the tree is home to the white-letter hairstreak butterfly, whose population has suffered a 96 per cent decrease in the last 40 years.
At the same time, it is estimated that the UK population of elm trees - the butterflies' natural habitat - has fallen by over 30 million.
“White-letter Hairstreaks are a UK Biodiversity Priority Species as they spend their whole lifecycle exclusively on elm trees,” said Ben Keywood, a butterfly specialist from the Wildlife Trust.
“The eggs will be on the tree for the next couple of months and then the caterpillars will feed on the leaves before pupating and becoming adult butterflies in July.
“As the species is so dependent on that single tree twelve months of the year it is difficult to carry out any work that wouldn’t destroy the colony of this high conservation priority species."
The Wildlife Trust estimates that there are around 1,000 mature English elm trees left in the UK following the devastating effects of Dutch elm disease that hit the UK in the 1970s and 1980s.
The fungus-related disease, spread by elm bark beetles, was responsible for the deaths of over 30 million English elm trees during that period.
The local authorities are looking at a potential design solution to retain this important tree, but no decisions have yet been made.
Dr Nicky Rivers, of the Wildlife Trust, said: “We hope that Amey and the council will listen to the local people and they can approve a solution which retains this important tree. As well as the butterfly, we also saw bullfinches and other birds using the tree, just on one visit – it would not just be the tree that would be lost, but all the biodiversity it supports.”
“Nether Edge has a paucity of green spaces, so the importance of the street trees and the ecosystem services they provide in this area needs to be properly taken into account.”
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