First view of a Small Skipper butterfly at RSPB Loch Lomond proves success of conservation efforts

The Small Skipper butterfly found at RSPB Loch Lomond by RSPB volunteer Roger Broad. These butterflies are rare in Scotland, though their population seems to be growing - Photo by Roger Broad/RSPB

Scottish RSPB conservation efforts at RSPB Loch Lomond have paid a surprising dividend to an RSPB volunteer, Roger Broad, whose quest to see the first-ever Small Skipper butterfly - Thymelicus sylvestris - was ended just 10 minutes into his search at the reserve.

Most sightings of this rare butterfly - which is more common in England (especially southern England) and Wales - are on the eastern side of the Scottish Lowlands, where the species has firmly established itself. In the western Scottish Lowlands, the Small Skipper is a bit of a rarity.

"I went looking for the Small Skipper butterfly and found it within a 10-minute walk of the Visitor Hub, in the first field I checked," Roger Broad, who is a volunteer at RSPB Loch Lomond, said.

"The habitat in this field is the result of recent grassland management and provides tall grassland throughout the main flight period of June and July. The field has plentiful Yorkshire Fog, the principal food plant for the larvae," he adds.

The Small Skipper is a small orange-brown butterfly with distinctive brown-tipped antennae. It is commonly found in tall grassland habitats where its caterpillars feed on a variety of grass species. In recent years, the Scottish RSPB has undertaken a variety of projects to encourage these types of habitat and the efforts now seem to have brought great dividends.

Paula Baker, the Site Manager at RSPB Loch Lomond, said: "What a summer highlight for us, welcoming these gorgeous little creatures to Loch Lomond. When volunteer Roger confirmed his find, we couldn’t wait to spend our lunch hour trying to catch a glimpse, and we weren’t disappointed!"

"Creating habitats for nature is central to the work we are carrying out here at RSPB Loch Lomond, and seeing new species arrive is a fantastic sign that these efforts are making a difference. Every addition to the reserve species list helps demonstrate the importance of managing habitats that support wildlife," she added.

The Small Skipper is the latest butterfly species to be recorded at the reserve. Comma and Speckled Wood butterflies have also been added to the reserve list in recent years, reflecting wider changes in butterfly distributions across Scotland.

At the turn of the millennium, the Small Skipper had a largely southerly distribution in England but was rapidly spreading north towards the border. This expansion has continued in recent years, with records now extending north of the Clyde and across much of Scotland’s Central Belt.

The discovery highlights the importance of well-managed grassland habitats and demonstrates how conservation work can help wildlife adapt and thrive as species distributions change, the Scottish RSPB say..