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established in Essex, virtually disappeared from
the County at about the turn of the century.
During the next half-century, only a handful of
individuals, presumably vagrants, were reported
from as many widely scattered localities, but in
1955 a small colony was discovered at Langdon Hills,
and from that year onwards this attractive
'brown' spread steadily over the southern half
of Essex. The latest records given in the
Guide to the Butterflies and Larger Moths of Essex,
which was published by the Essex Naturalists'
Trust in 1975, indicated that the species had
reached a line running approximately from
Bradwell-on-Sea in the east through Maldon..
Danbury Hill and Brentwood to Woodford Green in
the south-west.
The speckled wood appeared to suffer a set-back
immediately following the long, hot summer of
1976, probably as a result of the searing of the
grasses on which the larvae feed, and no further
northward extension of range was reported during
the next three years (except that one was seen
in Parndon Wood Nature Reserve, Harlow, in 1977)
although it rapidly recovered its numbers, and
continued to consolidate in the southern part
of the County. In parts of southern Essex
it has become very common: for example on the
Essex Naturalists' Trust Maldon Wick Nature
Reserve up to 50 can be counted in due season on
a walk through this 3/4-mile long linear reserve.
By 1980 it was on the move northward again.
Latest reports indicate that it has reached
Hatfield Forest on the west side, but there are
as yet no indications of any significant northward
march in the centre of the County. However, it
is on the east side that the most spectacular
progress has been made. In 1980 a member of the
Essex Naturalists' Trust, whilst sailing, actually