Heath fritillary  (Mellicta athalia)

Information authenticated by Butterfly Conservation:
http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/

• 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. UK Biodiversity Species Action Plan (March, 2002)
   http://www.ukbap.org.uk/UKPlans.aspx?ID=446
4. 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.
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. 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.