Ecology and conservation of Lycaena dispar: British and European perspectives

Abstract

Lycaena dispar (large copper) is famous among British lepidopterists as one of the earliest recorded butterfly extinctions and for the early attempts at re-establishment. In the rest of Europe it is a rapidly declining butterfly with a complex set of ecological requirements, which urgently needs further study before it suffers the same fate as in Britain. This chapter introduces a programme of research which aims to combine the conservation of the species in The Netherlands with its re-establishment in England through a study of its habitat requirements using the restoration ecology approach. The priority of re-establishment for us in Britain may seem minor in the European context, but as we hope to show, the challenges of conservation in Europe and re-establishment in Britain (and possibly other countries) can benefit from an integrated approach.