brown hairstreak
thecla betulae latin

The Brown Hairstreak (Thecla betulae) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.

Brown Hairstreak (upperwing)

Brown Hairstreak (Theccla betulae)

In 1973 the course was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest and in particular is notable for Brown Hairstreak butterflies.

A colony of Brown Hairstreak Thecla betulae is present on East Salisbury Plain at one of its two Wiltshire localities.

Its grasslands are habitat for mammals including roe deer and brown hare, birds including kestrel, skylark, wheatear, whinchat and stonechat and butterflies include Small Copper and Brown Hairstreak.

The butterflies include Marbled White Melanargia galathea, Brown Argus Aricia agestis, Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina, Brown Hairstreak Thecla betulae, and Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus, besides large numbers of more common species.

There are also 35 species of butterflies such as Purple Emperor, Brown Hairstreak, Black Hairstreak, Wood White, the Silver Washed Fritillary, High Brown Fritillary, Marsh Fritillary, Pearl-Bordered Fritillary and Small Pearly-Bordered Fritillary.

THECLA BETULAE (Linnaeus).