The beautiful Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary is associated with damp grassland, moorland and woodland glades where its caterpillars feed predominantly on Marsh Violet. It is relatively widespread in Argyll and the Highlands but much scarcer in the Central Belt and the Borders and becoming increasingly threatened south of the border.
Action Needed
- Advice and financial support which leads to enhanced woodland glade and ride management.
- Appropriate and targeted agri-environment schemes which support and encourage effective management of their marginal land habitats.
- A landscape-scale approach to management which creates bigger, better and more joined up habitats.
Threats
- Inappropriate afforestation of the sites where Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary is found.
- Inappropriate woodland management, particularly where this results in the loss of open clearings and rides.
- Loss and fragmentation of habitats which can reduce the ability of the butterfly to move between sites.
MSP Nature Champion
