Speckled Wood.

 

                                          Speckled Wood. Photo. John Elliott. Click to enlarge.

 Normally a woodland species, as its name implies, the Speckled Wood does occur in shadier gardens such as mine, where this one has spent the day.. Most of our local ones are found at the bottom end of the Grove Hill wood however. The mating behaviour of individual male Speckled Woods shows marked variation. The three dark spots on each hind wing indicate that this butterfly is likely to be a 'patroller"which will patrol up and down looking for a mate; while specimens with four dark spots are likely to be "perchers" who will perch on a leaf waiting for a mate to come along. 

A serious decline in the numbers of Speckled Woods began in the 1860s, and was only reversed in the 1920s, starting here in Dorset.