Newsletter Articles
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31 January 2026
2025 was a transitional year, when a group of volunteers decided to set up the West Midlands Butterfly and Moth Society to make it easier to attract and retain volunteers in the region. The goal was to make it really simple for volunteers to work for butterflies and moths in the West Midlands, with straightforward procedures and a guarantee that all funds go to local activities.
31 January 2026
2025 was a transitional year, when a group of volunteers decided to set up the West Midlands Butterfly and Moth Society to make it easier to attract and retain volunteers in the region. The goal was to make it really simple for volunteers to work for butterflies and moths in the West Midlands, with straightforward procedures and a guarantee that all funds go to local activities.
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31 January 2026
This former quarry on the Geopark Way demonstrates how valuable brownfield sites can become for wildlife, sometimes dveeloping far greater biodiversity than greenfield sites used for agriculture.
31 January 2026
This former quarry on the Geopark Way demonstrates how valuable brownfield sites can become for wildlife, sometimes dveeloping far greater biodiversity than greenfield sites used for agriculture.
31 January 2026
We are very fortunate to have Dr Jenny Joy as Conservation Officer on our committee: her knowledge and experience will be vital in developing conservation projects and securing funding for them. Jenny worked for Butterfly Conservation from 2003 to 2019 and has been a volunteer for far longer. She has monitored Pearl-bordered Fritillary in the Wyre Forest for more than 20 years.
31 January 2026
We are very fortunate to have Dr Jenny Joy as Conservation Officer on our committee: her knowledge and experience will be vital in developing conservation projects and securing funding for them. Jenny worked for Butterfly Conservation from 2003 to 2019 and has been a volunteer for far longer. She has monitored Pearl-bordered Fritillary in the Wyre Forest for more than 20 years.
31 January 2026
It may seem like an odd time of year to be thinking about summer day-flying Clearwing moths but now is a good time to prepare. The pheromone lures and traps that help spot these beautiful insects need to be ordered well before the summer season, while the lures are still available for purchase.
31 January 2026
It may seem like an odd time of year to be thinking about summer day-flying Clearwing moths but now is a good time to prepare. The pheromone lures and traps that help spot these beautiful insects need to be ordered well before the summer season, while the lures are still available for purchase.
31 January 2026
It is not often that we see a new guide to European butterflies published and certainly none as ambitious as this. Its aim is to enable the identification of all butterflies encountered within Europe through a series of keys which, if followed carefully, will lead to correct identification of species.
31 January 2026
It is not often that we see a new guide to European butterflies published and certainly none as ambitious as this. Its aim is to enable the identification of all butterflies encountered within Europe through a series of keys which, if followed carefully, will lead to correct identification of species.
13 January 2026
Despite being common and widespread, white butterflies cause the most identification problems of all our species. We know from the Big Butterfly Count that misidentifications of 'Cabbage Whites' are as widespread as the butterflies themselves! This is particularly true when only the upperside of the wings are seen. This guide concentrates on upperside features of the four species of Whites commonly seen in our gardens. If you sometimes struggle to separate your Small Whites from your Green-veined Whites and your female Orange-tips, and all three from the Large White, then this is for you.
13 January 2026
Despite being common and widespread, white butterflies cause the most identification problems of all our species. We know from the Big Butterfly Count that misidentifications of 'Cabbage Whites' are as widespread as the butterflies themselves! This is particularly true when only the upperside of the wings are seen. This guide concentrates on upperside features of the four species of Whites commonly seen in our gardens. If you sometimes struggle to separate your Small Whites from your Green-veined Whites and your female Orange-tips, and all three from the Large White, then this is for you.
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18 December 2025
Trapping at this time of year can be disappointing, with fewer species on the wing and numbers reduced by cold, wet or windy weather. Even so, you can still find some beauties, as Mike Southall explains.
18 December 2025
Trapping at this time of year can be disappointing, with fewer species on the wing and numbers reduced by cold, wet or windy weather. Even so, you can still find some beauties, as Mike Southall explains.
18 December 2025
Sandscapes is a National Trust initiative to restore heathland on the Dudmaston estate and at Kinver Edge. The Dudmaston monitoring team, which includes some of our volunteers, recently met to share 2025's results.
18 December 2025
Sandscapes is a National Trust initiative to restore heathland on the Dudmaston estate and at Kinver Edge. The Dudmaston monitoring team, which includes some of our volunteers, recently met to share 2025's results.
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18 December 2025
Mike Williams compares and contrasts two new pocket guides: The Butterfly Spotter's Guide by Matthew Oates and The Butterfly Book by Andrew Fusek Peters and Jane Russ.
18 December 2025
Mike Williams compares and contrasts two new pocket guides: The Butterfly Spotter's Guide by Matthew Oates and The Butterfly Book by Andrew Fusek Peters and Jane Russ.
18 December 2025
George Davis, Chair of West Midlands Butterfly and Moth Society, explains how he came into the world of Lepidoptera and the kind of work he's been doing at Grafton Wood.
18 December 2025
George Davis, Chair of West Midlands Butterfly and Moth Society, explains how he came into the world of Lepidoptera and the kind of work he's been doing at Grafton Wood.
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18 December 2025
Mike Williams' annual reflection on butterfly records in the West Midlands confirms that 2025 was a great improvement on the dire summer of 2024. However, changes in emergence times, flight periods and number of broods underlined the difficulty of basing assessments on snapshots.
Photo: Wall Brown at Lea Quarry on 5 May (Roger Littleover)
18 December 2025
Mike Williams' annual reflection on butterfly records in the West Midlands confirms that 2025 was a great improvement on the dire summer of 2024. However, changes in emergence times, flight periods and number of broods underlined the difficulty of basing assessments on snapshots.
Photo: Wall Brown at Lea Quarry on 5 May (Roger Littleover)
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18 December 2025
A success story about a species that is responding very favourably to our warming climate, along with various farm stewardship schemes, and faring exceptionally well in the Blackthorn-rich landscapes not only here, in this part of our region, but in many other areas of the country too.
18 December 2025
A success story about a species that is responding very favourably to our warming climate, along with various farm stewardship schemes, and faring exceptionally well in the Blackthorn-rich landscapes not only here, in this part of our region, but in many other areas of the country too.
18 December 2025
Sometimes it's not the absolute numbers that matter in conservation but unpicking the detail of how a species is faring in a location and whether it's in a position to capitalise on new habitats when they form.
18 December 2025
Sometimes it's not the absolute numbers that matter in conservation but unpicking the detail of how a species is faring in a location and whether it's in a position to capitalise on new habitats when they form.