The Manx Wildlife Trust is hoping to send the island a-flutter with a new butterfly spotting guide.

The charity worked with island-based Royale Maps, known for their antique-style maps, and graphic designer Catherine Petit to produce the guide.

The postcard-sized guide is designed for anyone to use to record sightings of the insects and report them back to MWT.

The guide helps people to identify four key species of butterfly found in the Isle of Man: the comma, holly blue, orange-tip and wall butterfly.

Although other species are found in the island, these were chosen as good indicators of the current health of invertebrate populations here. Residents are asked to return the postcards with details of which species have been seen when and where around the island.

Invertebrate numbers have fallen by half in the last 40 years and Isle of Man butterflies are not immune to the pressures from habitat and food loss as well as the impact of pesticides used both industrially but also by people managing weeds in their own gardens.

biodiversity

MWT biodiversity education officer Dawn Dickens said: ’Most people have seen butterflies, whether in their garden or out and about in parks or the countryside these insects are an important part of the island’s biodiversity.

’Butterflies are highly sensitive indicators of the health of the environment and play crucial roles in the food chain as well as being pollinators of plants.

’We are very keen to track their numbers to find out more about what’s happening to the island’s environment.

’This is where the public come in, we need extra eyes to do this.

’The postcards concentrate on 4 species to aid identification and build up your confidence in your reporting skills.

’They are great to take out on a family walk or invite friends around for a coffee in your garden and butterfly record at the same time.

’The records will be put onto a database for researchers to use.’

Oli Stark from Royale Maps, which also sponsored the printing of the guides, said: ’At Royale Maps, we appreciate that all life on earth is under the threat of extinction.

’We aim to use our resources: our creativity, imagination, voice and business to do something about it.

’We designed this butterfly plate to inspire you to do something that matters this spring.

’Counting these four butterflies will be like taking the pulse of nature.

’What an enjoyable way to do that.’

Manor Park, Willaston, Laxey, Kewaigue and St Thomas’s Church of England schools have already signed up to take part in the scheme and members of the public can pick the guides up from the MWT gift shop in Peel.

Although the postcards are Freepost, people can help by using a stamp or dropping them back at the shop.

The MWT is also holding a butterfly identification Day at St John’s Mill Conference Centre starting at 9am on Saturday, August 3, with Gail Jeffcoate and Butterfly Conservation UK.

The full-day adult course will help attendees improve their identification skills and learn about monitoring and survey techniques.

Tickets are available via Eventbrite or the MWT website.

More information can be found on the internet at www.manxwt.org.uk/Butterfly