Heath fritillary  (Mellicta athalia)

Coppice: Coppicing is a traditional form of woodland management in which trees are cut close to the base of the trunk. Re-growth occurs in the form of many thin poles. Coppiced woodlands are cut in this way on rotation, producing a mosaic of different stages of re-growth.
Hibernate: A winter survival strategy characteristic of some mammals in which an animal's metabolic rate slows down and a state of deep sleep is attained. Whilst hibernating, animals survive on stored reserves of fat that they have accumulated in summer. In insects, the correct term for hibernation is 'diapause', a temporary pause in development and growth. Any stage of the lifecycle (eggs, larvae, pupae or adults) may enter diapause, which is typically associated with winter.
Larvae: Stage in an animal's lifecycle after it hatches from the egg. Larvae are typically very different in appearance to adults; they are able to feed and move around but usually are unable to reproduce.
Pupate: The process of forming a pupa, the stage in an insect's development, when huge changes occur that reorganise the larval form into the adult form. In butterflies the pupa is also called a chrysalis.
Rides: The footpaths and access tracks which run through and divide blocks of trees in woodland. Many rides contain a mixture of rich flora and structure, and provide different habitat conditions for a range of wildlife.

1. Still, J. (1996) Collins Wild Guide: Butterflies and moths of Britain and Europe. HarperCollins Publishers, London.
   
2. Carter, D.J. and Hargreaves, B. (1986) A Field Guide to Caterpillars of Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Collins, London.
   
3. Asher, J., Warren, M., Fox, R., Harding, P., Jeffcoate, G. and Jeffcoate, S. (2001) The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
   
4. UK Biodiversity Species Action Plan (March, 2002)
   http://www.ukbap.org.uk/UKPlans.aspx?ID=446
   
5. Barnett L.K. and Warren, M.S. (1995) Species Action Plan: Heath fritillary, Mellicta athalia. Butterfly Conservation, Wareham. Available at:
   http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/downloads.asp?PageId=73
   
6. Stewart, K.S., Bourn, N., Warren, M. and Brereton, T. (2001) The Heath Fritillary (Mellicta athalia) on Exmoor: Changing Status 1980-2000 and Conservation Recommendations. Butterfly Conservation, Wareham.