Quercusia quercus (Linn.) (Thecla quercus) Purple Hairstreak
p34. Resident, fairly widespread and locally fairly common. Typically a butterfly of oak woodland.
Usually much less common than formerly but numerous in some areas in the hot, dry summers of
1976, 1983 and 1984.
Strymonidia w-album (Knoch) White Letter Hairstreak
p35. Resident, rather local; locally fairly common. Colonies are scattered throughout the County
but it is less common than formerly. Its decline has accelerated during the past decade due to the large-
scale loss of elms from Dutch elm disease, but small colonies still survive in a surprisingly large
number of localities.
Lycaena phlaeas (Linn.) Small Copper
p35. Resident, widespread and locally common. This butterfly is still widely distributed and locally
numerous but, like so many others, has suffered from loss or deterioration of suitable habitats:
unimproved grassland and uncultivated areas.
Lampides boeticus (Linn.) Long-tailed Blue
p35. Migrant, very rare. There are only two fully authenticated sightings of this almost
cosmopolitan species - in N.E. Essex in 1931 and 1932*. Larvae were found on Vigna unguiculata
(imported from Cyprus) at 52 Stansted in 1976 or 1977 (Seymour, 1978).
Cupido minimus (Fuess.) Small Blue
pl 32. No recent record. Found in the last century in the Epping district and near Saffron Walden *.
Recently there have been one or two unconfirmed reports from S. Essex.
Plebejus argus (Linn.) Silver-studded Blue
p35. Formerly rare resident, now probably extinct. Formerly found at Epping and, in 1949, in
Brentwood (colony). A colony, discovered in 1953 at Grays, died out about 1960. The latter was of
the chalk form cretacea Tutt which it is believed has not otherwise been found north of the
Thames *.
Aricia agestis (D. & S.) Brown Argus
p36. Resident, local and scarce. Although one of our commonest butterflies early this century *,
this is yet another species to have suffered from loss of habitat and disturbance. It is now decidedly
local and its present distribution in the County appears to be largely a southern one.
Polyommatus icarus (Rott.) Common Blue
p36. Resident, widespread and locally common. Our commonest blue, it is still found in a large
number of localities, in some of which, particularly along the coast and estuaries, it is still very
numerous.
Lysandra coridon (Poda) Chalk Hill Blue
p36. Vagrant, rare. Apparently resident for a time in the mid-19th century in Epping Forest and
near Colchester *, this large pale blue is now only a vagrant in Essex, eight only (three of them on
Hadleigh Downs *) having been seen since 1926. 54 Chesterford Park, single wing of male, 1975
(JR); 91 Layer Wood, worn male, 1978 (TS).
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