Why Did the Large Blue Become Extinct in Britain?

Jeremy Thomas

doi:10.1017/S0030605300024625

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In 1979 the Nature Conservancy Council revealed that the large blue butterfly Maculinea arion was probably extinct in Britain, despite much research and valiant efforts to save it. The author, a member of the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, who since 1972 has been engaged full time on the research and conservation work for the butterfly, tells the story as it is now known.

Crossref Citations

This article has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by Crossref.

Elmes, G.W. and Wardlaw, Judith C. 1982. Variations in populations of Myrmica sabuleti and M. scabrinodis (Formicidae: Hymenoptera) living in Southern England. Pedobiologia, Vol. 23, Issue. 1, p. 90.

COTTRELL, C. B. 1984. Aphytophagy in butterflies: its relationship to myrmecophily. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Vol. 80, Issue. 1, p. 1.

Thomas, J.A. 1984. The behaviour and habitat requirements of Maculinea nausithous (the dusky large blue butterfly) and M. teleius (the scarce large blue) in France. Biological Conservation, Vol. 28, Issue. 4, p. 325.

THOMAS, C. D. 1985. Specializations and polyphagy of Plebejus argus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in North Wales. Ecological Entomology, Vol. 10, Issue. 3, p. 325.

Thomas, C.D. and Mallorie, H.C. 1985. Rarity, species richness and conservation: Butterflies of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Biological Conservation, Vol. 33, Issue. 2, p. 95.

Erhardt, Andreas 1985. Wiesen und Brachland als Lebensraum für Schmetterlinge. p. 148.

Gibson, C.W.D. and Brown, V.K. 1985. Plant succession. Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment, Vol. 9, Issue. 4, p. 473.

SUMPTION, K. J. and FLOWERDEW, J. R. 1985. The ecological effects of the decline in Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) due to myxomatosis. Mammal Review, Vol. 15, Issue. 4, p. 151.

MORRIS, MICHAEL G. 1987. Changing attitudes to nature conservation: the entomological perspective. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Vol. 32, Issue. 2, p. 213.

Thomas, J. A. Elmes, G. W. Wardlaw, J. C. and Woyciechowski, M. 1989. Host specificity among Maculinea butterflies in Myrmica ant nests. Oecologia, Vol. 79, Issue. 4, p. 452.

MURPHY, DENNIS D. FREAS, KATHY E. and WEISS, STUART B. 1990. An Environment‐metapopulation Approach to Population Viability Analysis for a Threatened Invertebrate. Conservation Biology, Vol. 4, Issue. 1, p. 41.

Cherrill, A.J. and Brown, V.K. 1990. The life cycle and distribution of the wart-biter Decticus verrucivorus (L.) (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) in a chalk Grassland in Southern England. Biological Conservation, Vol. 53, Issue. 2, p. 125.

DEMPSTER, J.P. 1991. The Conservation of Insects and their Habitats. p. 143.

Warren, M.S. 1991. The successful conservation of an endangered species, the heath fritillary butterfly Mellicta athalia, in Britain. Biological Conservation, Vol. 55, Issue. 1, p. 37.

Nilsson, Sven G. and Ericson, Lars 1992. Ecological Principles of Nature Conservation. p. 71.

Elmes, G. W. and Thomas, J. A. 1992. Complexity of species conservation in managed habitats: interaction betweenMaculinea butterflies and their ant hosts. Biodiversity and Conservation, Vol. 1, Issue. 3, p. 155.

Munguira, M.L. and Martín, J. 1993. The conservation of endangered lycaenid butterflies in Spain. Biological Conservation, Vol. 66, Issue. 1, p. 17.

OATES, M. R. 1995. The role of the National Trust in the conservation of British butterflies. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Vol. 56, Issue. , p. 73.

Aubert, Josiane Descimon, Henri and Michel, François 1996. Population biology and conservation of the Corsican swallowtail butterfly Papilio hospiton Géné. Biological Conservation, Vol. 78, Issue. 3, p. 247.

Thomas, J. A. and Elmes, G. W. 1998. Higher productivity at the cost of increased host‐specificity when Maculinea butterfly larvae exploit ant colonies through trophallaxis rather than by predation. Ecological Entomology, Vol. 23, Issue. 4, p. 457.

Download full list

Article contents

Why Did the Large Blue Become Extinct in Britain?

Abstract

Save article to Kindle

Save article to Dropbox

Save article to Google Drive

Reply to: Submit a response

Your details

You have entered the maximum number of contributors

Conflicting interests