Danny shares this latest news from Newport Parish Council. Ed
As part of the Green Towns project, Newport PC has been working with Natural Enterprises to plant disease resistant elms around the parish.
This is both as landscape restoration and as species conservation as there are loads of elm-specific bugs that need mature trees. One of the target species is the white-letter hairstreak butterfly that lives up in the canopy of elm trees.
Difficult to spot
The butterfly has brown underwings with white W-shaped streak, an orange edge and small tails. The White-letter Hairstreak has the erratic, spiralling flight typical of Hairstreaks. It is difficult to spot as it flies around the tops of trees, particularly Elms.
It occasionally comes down to ground level to nectar on flowers, especially privet and bramble.
Making a return to Newport
The species declined in the 1970s when its food plants were reduced by Dutch Elm disease, but it is recovering in a few areas and has been seen recently in Newport thanks to elm tree planting ten years ago by Island 2000 at Towngate pond.
The species of tree planted this year is Ulmus ‘Ademuz’ which is a remarkably robust and strong-growing elm.
The first batch have been planted at Towngate Pond, Downside Recreation Ground and Pan Country Park with more planting due in the autumn once the whips have become more established.
