Wildlife

Marsh Fritillary Welfare: Habitat Degradation in the UK

The marsh fritillary is one of the UK's most threatened butterflies, with its welfare and survival entirely dependent on the presence of devil's bit scabious in traditionally managed grassland.

Key Facts

Marsh fritillaries have declined by around 64% in the UK over the past 25 years
Larvae feed exclusively on devil's bit scabious and overwinter in communal silk webs on the foodplant
They require a mosaic of short and tall vegetation managed by grazing or cutting
The species is highly susceptible to population crashes from parasitoid wasp (Cotesia bignellii) attack

Welfare Considerations

Loss of traditionally managed wet grassland through agricultural improvement, undergrazing and overgrazing has eliminated the devil's bit scabious foodplant from many sites. Fragmentation of remaining habitat prevents recolonisation of restored sites. Parasitoid wasp attack causes population crashes in isolated colonies that cannot recover through recolonisation. Habitat management maintaining the right grazing structure is the most important welfare measure.

What You Can Do

Support traditional hay meadow and wet grassland management through conservation farming
Donate to Butterfly Conservation working on marsh fritillary site management
Advocate for agri-environment scheme options targeting wet grassland butterfly conservation
Record marsh fritillary colony locations and submit to Butterfly Conservation monitoring