The aim of the excursion was to get to know the different habitats of the butterflies and their caterpillars – ideally also to catch and determine butterflies. However, a 15 ° C temperature, wind and a changeable cloudy sky did not provide good conditions to track them down. Nevertheless, we went on our way and fortunately were not disappointed, because some butterflies flew despite bad weather or startled as we walked through the fields and meadows.
First we crossed the field and went through the Sammatz gardens. Here, the habitat of the so-called synanthrope was presented, as it is home to some Pieridae
and even small tortoiseshell butterflies. It was followed by the habitat of light forest, the home of the Speckled Wood and the nursery of the Common Brimstone, where we quickly discovered eggs on the many rotten trees. The meadow offered us some Small Heaths but it is also home to various species of Skippers. Two other habitats followed: the Calcareous grassland, an El Dorado for butterflies and a link between different habitats. Last came the humid forest, where the beautiful Purple Emperors and White Admiralds reside. However, we unfortunately did not get to see them.
In each section there was information on the caterpillar food plants, the butterflies and the importance and endangerment of the habitat. In total, we were able to track 10 species of butterflies and two types of moths; we visited 31 caterpillar food plants.
The participants were very pleased to have discovered more butterflies than we could have expected at the beginning of the excursion due to the moderate weather conditions. In the evening, the topic was further delved into during a lecture.
