This species was earlier locally common on Sealand and southern Funen. All habitats were dry and sunny places with low vegetation. The populations on Sealand disappeared around 1955 and the last Danish specimens was seen on Funen in 1983 (however see new article). The last known habitat was managed with grazing sheep not to help the butterfly but to make the area look "pretty". Unfortunately the grazing was much too hard, so tityrus became extinct. Just another example, that collecting went on for many years doing no harm, but socalled "nature restoration" destroyed it.
A few stray individuals, possibly coming from Poland, have been found on Falster.
Se detailed article with pictures about the re-establishment of H. tityrus in Denmark
Distribution map for H. tityrus in Denmark based on specimens in Danish collections and observations. Data collected by Atlas Project Danish Butterflies Grid: UTM 10 km. squares |