Friday, 3 September, 2010 homebutterfliesmothseventspressrecordingprojectsreservemembershipmagazinedownloadaboutcontactlinks Butterflies of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull Marbled White Melanargia galathea The Marbled White is one of our most distinctive butterflies and is unique in terms of its colouration and wing pattern. It is an attractive black and white butterfly which is unlikely to be mistaken for any other species. Its is commonly encountered in grassy meadows and will often feed on purple flowers such as Knapweed, Thisles, Scabious and Marjoram. Adult butterflies may be found roosting halfway down tall grass stems although they are well camouflaged. Larval Food plants The full range of larval food plants is not known as the larvae of the Marbled White feed on a wide variety of grasses. This is primarily because the adult female butterflies do not lay their eggs directly onto the larval food plant. Instead they drop the small white, circular eggs as they flutter through tall grass. Red Fescue (Festuca rubra) Sheep's-fescue (Festuca ovina) Yorkshire-fog (Holcus lanatus) Tor-grass (Brachypodium pinnatum) Habitat Requirements The Marbled White occurs as discrete colonies on unimproved grassland where a wide range of grass species, especially Red Fescue occurs, forming a tall sward that is rarely cut or grazed. Warwickshire Status Resident Where to see the Marbled White Ufton Fields (WWT Reserve) Ashlawn Cutting (WWT Reserve) Grove Hill (WWT Reserve) Harbury Spoilbank (WWT Reserve) Snitterfield Bushes (WWT Reserve) Stockton Cutting (WWT Reserve) Henley Sidings (WWT Reserve) Knowle Hill (WWT Reserve) Other Species Please select an alternative species from the list below. Bath White Black Hairstreak Black-veined White Brimstone Brown Argus Brown Hairstreak Camberwell Beauty Chalkhill Blue Chequered Skipper Clouded Yellow Comma Common Blue Dappled White Dark Green Fritillary Dingy Skipper Duke of Burgundy Essex Skipper Gatekeeper Geranium Bronze Green Hairstreak Green-veined White Grizzled Skipper High Brown Fritillary Holly Blue Large Skipper Large Tortoiseshell Large White Long-tailed Blue Map Marbled White Marsh Fritillary Mazarine Blue Meadow Brown Orange-tip Painted Lady Pale Clouded Yellow Peacock Pearl-bordered Fritillary Purple Emperor Purple Hairstreak Red Admiral Ringlet Silver-studded Blue Silver-washed Fritillary Small Blue Small Copper Small Heath Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Small Skipper Small Tortoiseshell Small White Speckled Wood Swallowtail Wall Brown White Admiral White-letter Hairstreak Wood White © Steven Cheshire First Sightings First sighting dates are based on records of Marbled White submitted online. Please note that these dates are not updated retrospectively to include records submitted to the branch recorder in other forms. 16/06/2010 - Southam Quarry 14/06/2009 - Fossedene Meadow & Coombe Farm 11/06/2008 - Southam Quarry 08/06/2007 - Southam Quarry © Debbie Cheshire   © John Carter Adult Flight Times The flight chart below is based on observations of the adult Marbled White in Warwickshire between 2005 and 2008. Peak periods are shown in dark green. Warwickshire Distribution Maps base on Vice County (CV38) which includes Coventry and Solihull Distribution of the Marbled White during the indicated period. Key to Warwickshire Maps: sightings 12-910+       2007 Distribution Data (1yr)   2008 available soon   2009 Distribution Data (1yr)   2000-09 Distribution Data (10yr) © Butterfly Conservation WarwickshirePrivacy and Copyright Statement Butterfly Conservation is a non-profit-making company limited by guarantee, registered in England (2206468) Registered Office: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QP Charity registered in England & Wales (254937) and in Scotland (SCO39268)   Web site designed and maintained by Steven Cheshire