National Trust works to save the Pearl-bordered Fritillary.

03/10/2006 00:00:00 24 May 2006. An action plan to save the rare Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterfly and bring it back from the verge of extinction in Ceredigion is being launched today by the National Trust and partner organisations. During the last 25 years the butterfly has declined by 77 per cent in Wales due to the changing nature of their habits and farming practices. Butterflies are key indicators of the health of our environment. For rare species like the Pearl-bordered Fritillary, the habitat where they breed needs careful management if they are to flourish again. The steep sided valley of Cwm Soden brings about many practical difficulties as vehicular access is nearly impossible. National Trust staff and specialist contractors have been working at the site, raking off the dense build up of bracken litter and cutting invasive scrub, as dense bracken litter smothers the violets that the butterfly’s caterpillars feed on. A thin layer of bracken litter is left as shelter for the caterpillars on sunny spring days.