At the present time the Gatekeeper is an abundant and widespread resident butterfly in the county, although historical records indicate several changes of status have occurred in the past. Details published by Ellis (1890) stated that it was tolerably plentiful, except around Cheadle Hulme and Chester. By the 1930’s, however, it would appear that the Gatekeeper had vanished from many areas as Boyd (1946) reported that it was virtually unknown on the Cheshire Plain. Little data is available from the 1940’s and 1950’s, but survey work by Rutherford (1983) covering the period from 1961 to 1982 showed the Gatekeeper to be extremely common in the south-west, but with only occasional reports, probably of wanderers, in the eastern and northern parts of the county.
Subsequent extensive data from the Cheshire Butterfly Recording Scheme has mapped the changes in distribution of this butterfly over the last 25 years. This has shown that a significant northerly extension to its range became apparent by the mid-1990’s, together with an even more dramatic expansion into the Peak District hills from the late 1990’s – prior to this time the Gatekeeper was virtually unrecorded in these eastern hills. Contributors have now recorded this insect in 91% of tetrads (2km x 2km squares) in the county making it our 11th most widely recorded butterfly.
The Gatekeeper is generally a sedentary insect that rarely flies beyond its sharply defined colonies, although some individuals must disperse to account for the recent spread into new areas of the county. There is also some evidence to suggest that it is more mobile during the higher temperatures experienced as a result of changing climatic conditions and this could be one reason for the northern and eastern range extension. In Cheshire many colonies are quite small, but a few sites in lowland areas hold substantial populations. Woolston Eyes SSSI and the coastal areas on the Wirral between Heswall and Thurstaston are localities where counts of 1,000+ have frequently been recorded. Other recent significant counts have included 1,080 at Newgate (Wilmslow) on 26th July 2003 and 605 at Rixton Claypits on 31st July 2004. Even in the hilly regions in the east of the county numbers are steadily increasing with 168 at Bakestonedale Moor on 8th August 2004 and 95 at Dunge Clough on 21st July 2006.
Largest numbers of the Gatekeeper, which is also appropriately known as the Hedge Brown, are generally found close to hedgerows, by woodland edges, scrubby areas and even roadsides where uncultivated grasses are allowed to flourish. It has a single synchronised emergence each year which is concentrated over a relatively short flight period from mid-July to late August. During the 1990’s peak numbers in Cheshire were normally recorded in early August, but subsequent warmer temperatures over the last 10 years has meant that maximum counts are now regularly seen by late July.
Undoubtedly the best time to observe the Gatekeeper is during favourable weather conditions when it can be seen basking in sunny positions with its wings held open. It is also frequently seen taking nectar, especially on Bramble (Rubus fruticosus) and Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea). The recent range extension of the Gatekeeper in Cheshire indicates that there is no danger to its present status as a common and widespread butterfly in the county.
Boyd, A.W. (1946). A Country Diary of a Cheshire Man.
Ellis, J.W. (1890). The Lepidopterous Fauna of Lancashire and Cheshire.
Rutherford, C.I. (1983). Butterflies in Cheshire 1961 to 1982.
Written by Barry Shaw for News, the Cheshire and Peak Distrcit Branch of Butterfly Conservation magazine.