Pitcombe Down
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SY582899 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 2.12 | 2011-05-12 |
| SY585896 | — | Favourable | 7.81 | 2011-05-12 |
| SY585899 | — | Favourable | 3.18 | 2011-05-12 |
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Chalk
Description
Pitcombe Down SSSI Description An area of chalk downland of south and west aspect. In excellent condition, the swards show some variety in species composition whilst being characteristic of chalk grassland in the south west part of the county. Most of the grassland is of the association: sheep’s fescue/red fescue Festuca ovina/F. rubra – salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba. It is rich in attractive downland plants including horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa, clustered bellflower Campanula glomerata, harebell Campanula rotundifolia, small scabious Scabiosa columbaria, devil’s-bit Succisa pratensis and betony Betonica officinalis. Areas dominated by tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum, though not rich in herbs, give additional variety to the site. There are good populations of butterflies including the local chalkhill blue Polyommatus coridon and the uncommon small blue Cupido minimus and Adonis blue Polyommatus bellargus.
Species mentioned
Show the 12 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small blue | Cupido minimus | NT | butterfly | lycaenidae |
| Adonis blue | Polyommatus bellargus | VU | butterfly | lycaenidae |
| chalkhill blue | Polyommatus coridon | VU | butterfly | lycaenidae |
| tor grass | Brachypodium pinnatum | LC | grass | poaceae |
| sheep's fescue | Festuca ovina | LC | grass | poaceae |
| betony | Betonica officinalis | VU | herb | lamiaceae |
| clustered bellflower | Campanula glomerata | VU | herb | campanulaceae |
| harebell | Campanula rotundifolia | LC | herb | campanulaceae |
| horseshoe vetch | Hippocrepis comosa | VU | herb | fabaceae |
| salad burnet | Poterium sanguisorba | VU | herb | rosaceae |
| small scabious | Scabiosa columbaria | LC | herb | caprifoliaceae |
| devils-bit scabious | Succisa pratensis | VU | herb | caprifoliaceae |
Insects to look out for
These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Poterium sanguisorba |
| Dingy skipper Erynnis tages |
Vulnerable | Hippocrepis comosa |
| Marsh fritillary Euphydryas aurinia |
Vulnerable | Scabiosa columbaria, Succisa pratensis |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Festuca ovina |
| Silver studded blue Plebejus argus |
Vulnerable | Hippocrepis comosa |
| Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae |
Vulnerable | Poterium sanguisorba |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Festuca spp. |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Festuca ovina |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Betonica officinalis |
| Silver-spotted skipper Hesperia comma |
Near Threatened | Festuca ovina |
| Rosy minor Litoligia literosa |
Near Threatened | Festuca ovina |
Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.