Butterfly back in ravaged reserve

The number silver-studded blue butterflies is declining in England

A rare butterfly has survived in a nature reserve two years after a heathland fire was thought to have destroyed its habitat.

The silver-studded blue was one of the species threatened by the five-day blaze that ravaged Thursley National Nature Reserve in Surrey in July 2006.

Natural England said the butterfly is once again thriving at the reserve.

The landscape is still scarred by the fire, which smouldered for five weeks, with dead and blackened birch trees.

Purple-flowered heathers are just beginning to grow back.

'Frightening speed'

The silver-studded blue is found at just a handful of places in England and Wales.

The latest count of one colony, in an area which firefighters battled to protect because of the butterfly's presence, showed there were 126 silver-studded blues - an increase of more than 100 on last year.

Simon Nobes, the senior reserve manager for Thursley, said: "The flames consumed the dry and wet heathland with frightening speed, burning out Dartford warbler nests, sand lizard areas and butterfly colonies, leaving a barren scorched landscape of ash in their wake."

The fire destroyed two-thirds of the 400-hectare site, which is home to other rare species including the sand lizard, nightjar and Dartford warbler.

Huge areas of the heathland were devastated in the blaze

Fire crews worked with Mr Nobes on protecting a "line in the sand" area in which the butterflies had laid their eggs and could not be lost if the silver-studded blue was to have a chance of surviving in the reserve.

The butterfly, which has seen declines of 80% in the last century, also needs young, low heather to allow its eggs to hatch and the presence of heather ants in whose nests the butterflies pupate.

He estimates it will take 10 to 15 years for the "full range of heathland specialists" to return to the site.

But Mr Nobes said they did not yet know the long-term impact on species such as dragonflies which could have been affected by the fire.

Sir Martin Doughty, chairman of Natural England, the government's conservation agency which manages national nature reserves, said: "When Thursley, a nucleus of threatened species, went up in flames we thought our worst fears had been realised.

"However through the combined efforts of fire fighters, the local community and our reserve staff, against the odds, Thursley has been saved."