Friday 1 May 2009

Holly Blue in Ayrshire (again!)

Following Angus Murray's discovery of a Holly Blue in his garden in Ayr on three dates last August, he has recently sighted a first brood male on 22 April. Observers are encouraged to search out this species throughout the county.

There are a number of interesting questions and possibilities here: is the species holding on at a few undiscovered locations?; has it recently colonised from coastal D&G (and why no records in the large gap between?); has it (as eggs/larvae) been accidentally introduced with holly/ivy/another plant which may have come via garden centre from further south?