Dispar
The Online Journal of Lepidoptera
ISSN 2056-9246
The Online Journal of Lepidoptera
ISSN 2056-9246
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by Michael Easterbrook, John Bangay, Peter Kirby and Peter Riley.
Situated in the relatively hot and dry south-east corner of England, Kent provides great conditions for butterflies. As well as an ideal climate, Kent has good habitats for butterflies, such as chalk grassland and ancient woodland. It is also perfectly positioned for the arrival of migrant butterflies from continental Europe, some quite rare. Kent has 42 of the 59 butterfly species that are resident in Britain, including rare species such as Heath Fritillary and Duke of Burgundy, both increasing in numbers due to conservation efforts. Adonis and Small Blues are spreading and other butterflies that used to have a very restricted range in the county, including Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral and Purple Emperor, can now be seen in many woods, and have spread into south-east London. Green spaces in the London suburbs now have species such as Brown Argus, Green Hairstreak and Marbled White, and even Brown Hairstreak in some places.
This book illustrates all the species that occur in the area, plus others that used to be here. Maps show the current distribution and compare historical data where the range has changed. Also, detailed information is provided on places to see these beautiful butterflies.
Following on the heels of other county-based works, such as Butterflies of Cornwall, The Butterflies of Sussex and Butterflies of the West Midlands, this is the latest high-quality and beautifully produced work from Pisces Publications. In essence, this is a county atlas and, unsurprisingly, follows a familiar format - an introduction to the region is followed by the species descriptions, with several additional topics that nicely round off a publication such as this, including a list of good sites to visit. Of course, there is much more to this work that the rather dry summary I've just given you!
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Each species is given four pages that are jam-packed with information and high-quality images, with, I'm pleased to say, plenty of coverage given not just to the adult butterflies, but also the immature stages (egg, caterpillar and chrysalis), as well as parasites. The species descriptions also include county-specific phenology charts (the timing of the lifecycle stages), correlated with actual data from Kent and South East London. As a butterfly nerd, I really appreciated the efforts that the authors have gone to, to refine general statements regarding each species to something that is specific to the south east which, despite the exceptional heat of 2022, typically experiences a much warmer climate than other areas of Britain and Ireland, with species having an adjusted phenology as a result.
On that note, given its location, there are some species, such as the Heath Fritillary, that is a specialty of this region, which adorns the cover of the book. There is also inclusion of rare migrants, with many of those coming from mainland Europe often hitting our shores at Kent before dispersing further. Both historic and more recent extinctions are also discussed - who knew that the Glanville Fritillary was once found in the area?
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Of the remaining sections, it is the 'Sites to Visit' section that many readers will find invaluable, especially those of us that don't live in the area. Having insights from local experts on the best places to visit, correlated with the species to be found at each site, is, unsurprisingly, a very valuable aspect of this work, and one that I know I'll be putting to good use.
In summary, this is a welcome addition to any butterfly-lover's bookshelf, and you can never have enough butterfly books!
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