Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)
Cheshire local information
When to see: June-August
Where to see: Unimproved grassland on well-drained soil.
Behaviour: Patrol
Wingspan: 33-37mm
Caterpillar food plant: Bents (Agrostis spp.), Fescues (Festuca spp.)
Cheshire status: Formerly common and widespread, but has declined significantly during the twentieth century. Still resident in small numbers on the Wirral and in the Pennine foothills, but absent from much of the Cheshire Plain. Preferred habitat is unimproved grassland on well-drained soils. Two overlapping broods with the larger first emergence peaking in mid-June and the second brood flying during July and August.
Resources
