A DECLINING species of butterfly has been recorded at a Delamere nature reserve for the very first time.

Delamere conservation officer Chris Meredith spotted a colony of green hairstreak butterflies at Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s Black Lake reserve in Delamere Forest, the first known sighting of this species to ever be publicly recorded at this particular site.

The green hairstreak is found across the UK in small populations often associated with isolated patches of mossland and heathland habitats.

As these habitats have been lost so have the populations that thrived upon them.

Although green hairstreaks have been recorded at some sites across the Delamere area, this is the first time the diminishing species has been recorded at the trust’s reserve.

Chris said: “On mossland habitats the butterfly’s most common feeding source is bilberry but that’s not its only option.

"If, as it appears, the green hairstreak is breeding at Black Lake, the caterpillars are likely to be feeding from the cross-leaved heath that is growing on the very unique schwingmoor habitat that we have there – a sphagnum raft that grows in abundance in Delamere.

“The green hairstreak is one of the first butterflies to appear in spring and it spends most of the year as a pupa.

"The first butterfly I saw was by itself and appeared to be guarding its territory which leads me to believe it was a male, as females are only ever really seen while laying eggs.

“A few days later I spotted at least four more at the site which hopefully means that the conditions at Black Lake are to its liking and that the public will get the chance to see more of this colourful creature there.”