Brown Hairstreak Thecla betulae

Brown Hairstreak Thecla betulae (Linnaeus, 1758)
Status There are no historically documented records of this species as ever having occurred in the wild state in Nottinghamshire. There are however, a number of recent records of presumed captive-bred stock released at several sites around the county. Introductions have certainly been attempted in the Duke's Wood and Dilliner Wood areas in early 2005 and 11/04/2005, with records referring to eggs. But at least one adult Brown Hairstreak was seen there on 31/08/2005. We are aware of a potential release of captive stock at woodland in the Southwell area a few years ago, but have no confirmation that this ever took place, but Brown Hairstreaks are currently doing well at Cotgrave Forest (records of both adults and ovae) and just over the county border at Pleasley Pit Top in Derbyshire.
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Adult male, reared ex-Cotgave Forest ova. Photographed June 2024

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Photographed by Nick and Samantha Brownley, Pleasley Pit Top Derbyshire August 2022


Early stages
Ovae/eggs on Blackthorn Prunus spinosa. Photographed at Pleasley Pit Top December 2021.

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Larva hatching from egg and recently hatched larva on Blackthorn Prunus spinosa. Photographed at Pleasley Pit Top April 2023. The whole process took around five hours, before the larva finally extracted itself from the confines of the egg.

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Newly hatched larva (1.3mm) on Blackthorn Prunus spinosa. Photographed April 2024.

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2nd-instar larva (2.5mm). Photographed mid-April 2024.

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3rd-instar larva (5mm). Photographed late April 2024.

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Half-grown larva. Photographed May 2022.

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Full-grown larva. Photographed June 2022.

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Full-grown larva showing pre-pupation colouring. Photographed May 2024.

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Pupa in leaf litter. Photographed June 2022.

The records for the Nottinghamshire distribution map are currently provided by the following contributors - Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Entomological Society (DANES). Sherwood Forest Invertebrate Directory 2021. Sharon and Rob Thatcher. Nick and Samantha Brownley.

You can contribute your own records to help us gain an accurate status of this species in Nottinghamshire. Send an Excel spreadsheet of your records via the 'contact us' link at the top of the homepage.

Updated January 2025