Glanville Fritillary (Melitaea cinxia)

The species of the month for May is the Glanville Fritillary Butterfly (Melitaea cinxia), a striking orange and brown chequered butterfly that is more common on Alderney than anywhere else in the British Isles.

The species is named after Lady Eleanor Glanville, a 17th century etymologist who is often described as the first lady of British natural history. She initially recorded the species in the UK in the 1690s, at a time when pursuing such interests was considered improper for a woman. After her death, Eleanor Glanville's family disputed her will on the grounds that she had lost her wits, as ‘nobody who was not deprived of their senses would go in pursuit of butterflies'.

Glanville's emerge in May and the Alderney Wildlife Trust have a friendly competition each year to see who can spot the first one of the season. As you can see from our Data Explorer, sightings are concentrated along the south cliffs and around Telegraph Bay, where cliff erosion creates the disturbed ground that their larval foodplant, ribwort plantain, thrives in.

Look out for them on warm, sunny days with little wind, where their spiky black caterpillars can also be seen in the weeks before. Glanville's are short-lived, with adults surviving only a matter of weeks. This makes May the perfect time to catch a glimpse of them.

See if you can spot one this month and please do let us know if you do!