Duke of Burgundy

Hamearis lucina

Scrubby grassland and sunny woodland clearings.

A very small orange and brown butterfly, like a tiny fritillary. The undersides of the hind wings have rows of white spots and all wings have a chequered brown and white border.

Caterpillars feed on cowslip in grasslands and primrose in woodland. They pupate in grassy tussocks, overwintering as a chrysalis until the following spring. Adult males are territorial, often perching high on a plant, thus making them easier to spot than the more elusive females.

The North York Moors is one of the few places this butterfly still calls home. Traditional practices such as coppicing in woodlands can create the sunlit clearings that this butterfly needs, along with managing grasslands to allow their preferred feed plants to thrive. These measures will also help other species such as the pearl-bordered fritillary and dingy skipper.