"A Nature Observer′s Scrapbook"
Butterflies
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Marbled White
Melanargia galathea
The Marbled White butterfly is not native to this part of the country, being mainly confined to southern England and it is presumed to be an 'introduced' species in this location.
However, on the evidence of the many that were to be seen in this sheltered woodland meadow - and as suggested by the image, they seem to be making themselves at home in what is obviously a habitat suited to their lifestyle.
| Date | Sighting |
| 28.06.2003 | Little Scrubbs Meadow. Bright sunny day, many in evidence. |
Green-veined White
Pieris napi
With up to three generations of Green-veined White butterflies per year, flying in May to June, June to August and in September they can be a very common sight in gardens and the open countryside.
The green larvae are covered in short bristly hair which helps to distinguish them from the similarly coloured Small White caterpillars. They have a wide range of foodplants to choose from, including rape, water-cress, wild garlic and indeed all of the crucifer cabbage family.
In September 2008 I was fortunate to find a caterpillar in the first stage of pupation. It had just secured itself to a dead twig in the leaf litter at the base of a hedge. It was taken into care for observation and successfully completed the pupal transformation. At first, the chrysalis was a pale green colour. This changed to white with black speckling and then, for a period, appeared quite transparent leading me to fear that it had died and dried out. But this was probably due to the caterpillar body structure disolving into DNA 'soup' prior to reforming in the butterfly form. In the Spring it's 'solid' white and black colouring returned.
When the butterfly emerged from the chrysalis it moved a little way up the twig and allowed its wings to extend by pumping body fluids into the wing veins. With the wing extended the fluid drains back into the body and the veins stiffen permanently. It is then common for the butterfly to expel any excess body fluids to reduce body weight and make flight easier.
The right wingtip showed a slight deformity, being rounded rather than pointed. For the next seven days the weather was overcast and very blustery and the butterfly remained more or less static, making no attempt to fly.
But when the sun did shine it flew off with little hesitation to the flowering Aubretia and its usually tightly coiled tongue can be seen probing the flowers for nectar.
With wings open wide - not a familiar sight with Green-veined Whites, the forewing markings indicated that this was a female. The markings on the upper surface of a male's wings are confined to the wingtips.
The raised tip of the abdomen is an indication that the female is giving off pheromones that signal to the male that she is ready to mate.
Twenty minutes later an oddly shaped butterfly fluttered erratically around the garden and when it settled it turned out to be a pair of Green-veined Whites locked in a 'romantic embrace'. And the smaller one had a familiar 'slightly deformed' right wingtip! While coupled in flight, the female's wings remained folded.
In some butterfly species the females are usually larger than the males but there is a big variation in size within the Green-veined White species and in this case it would appear that the male is quite a bit larger than the female.
| Date | Sighting |
| 31.07.2004 | On Purple Loosestrife in back garden. |
| 17.07.2005 | Two seen on Purple Loosestrife and Stock in back garden. |
| 03.05.2006 | First of the season seen around garden Pulmonaria. |
| 13.07.2006 | First of the second generation seen in hay meadow. |
| 31.05.2007 | First of the season seen around purple Honesty, one of the crucifers. |
| 19.09.2008 | Late generation larva found just entering pupation. |
| 30.04.2009 | Adult emerged from last September's pupa. |
| 07.05.2009 | Pair observed mating. |
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Large White
Pieris brassicae
The top image is of a female showing the prominent black wing tip and black dots on the forewing. These dots are usually absent on the male. And since only the dots are replicated on the underside of the wing, with wings closed, as they seem to be as often as not, the male will show plain creamy white under-wings with no apparent markings.
Eggs are laid in clusters on the upper surface of the foodplant leaf with no apparent attempt at concealment.
There may be two or three generations each year, the later generations usually being more prolific - presumably because of the greater availability of their foodplants, cabbages (hence their other common name of 'Cabbage White') and other brassicas.
That said, the 41mm larva in third image was found in October on garden Honesty (Lunaria annua), which is a member of the same 'crucifer' plant family to which cabbages belong.
Despite the large numbers of caterpillars that were decimating the Lunaria I found it impossible to find a chrysalis in the vicinity. Frustration (and the threat of November frosts) drove me to gather up the last two larvae and rear them on in captivity. They duly ate their fill, went through four days of 'pre-pupa' motionless inactivity and overnight successfully pupated. For a further five days they showed signs of muscular activity by 'twitching' if disturbed. The lower left image was taken when the 'twitch' reaction had subsided.
Many butterfly pupae are found 'hanging by the tail' but, the Large White caterpillar chooses to attach itself in a 'head-up' attitude. Two thirds of the way up the pupa case it is just possible to see the thin silken thread which is used to support the chrysalis in this upright manner. As metamorphosis nears completion the right hand chrysalis image shows how the abdomen develops and darkens and the white speckled wings show through the thin transparent chrysalis case.
Studies have shown that pesticides sprayed on crops seem to have little effect on the population of Whites, since the pesticides are just as effective on the larvae's natural insect predators - one such being the small ichneumon, Apanteles glomeratus.
| Date | Sighting |
| 02.08.2003 | Eggs found laid on garden Honesty (Lumaria). |
| 03.09.2004 | After a dismal year for numbers, a local hatch has produced several in back garden. |
| 17.07.2005 | A good flush graced the garden in warm sunshine. At least six seen at same time. |
| 28.09.2005 | 35mm caterpillars found on garden Honesty. |
| 05.10.2005 | Caterpillars found on garden Honesty, now 40mm - and the Honesty is disappearing fast. |
| 11.07.2006 | Several adults seen around the garden |
| 14.10.2006 | Another mid Autumn hatch of caterpillars feeding on Honesty (Lunaria). |
| 29.10.2006 | Late caterpillars entered pupation. |
| 10.05.2007 | 'Reared' larva completed pupation, released onto Honesty and flew free. |
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Small White
Pieris rapae
Stating the obvious, the Small White is the smaller version of the Large White, but it still has a forewing length of 3cm which is quite big compared with the Blues, the Skippers, etc.
Although sharing the black markings of the Large White, they ar not so prominent. The wing tip mark of the S. White is strictly confined to the tip area whereas the mark on the L. White stretches halfway down the trailing edge.
At rest, with wings closed, the black spot on the forewing can often be hidden by the rear wing.
The larvae of both the Large and the Small species are renowned for favouring plants of the cabbage family (the Crucifers). And with up to three generations a year, are generally considered to be pests by the vegetable gardeners. The first generation adults wll fly during April and May. Eggs laid in May will quickly hatch to become mature caterpillars in late June and give rise to the second generation butterflies flying in July and August. Weather permitting, the third generation fly during September and October.
The Small White caterpillar is quite different to its Large White relative. It relies on its plain green camouflage and slow movement to escape the attentions of predators.
| Date | Sighting |
| 01.09.2004 | Garden. Not as common as in previous years. |
| 17.07.2005 | Coming and going all day, at least four at same time. |
| 30.06.2007 | A mature caterpillar found on the crucifer, garden Honesty. |
| 19.09.2008 | Larva in the throes of pupation found in litter at base of hedge close by crucifer, Garden Honesty. |
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Orange Tip
Anthocharis cardamines
Although the Orange tip's global range extends through temperate Europe and Asia as far as China, it is not as common in the UK as it used to be. That said, I saw many more in 2004 than in previous years - and in 2005 it appeared to be even more prolific.
It is one of the earlier butterflies, the single generation usually being seen between May and July. Individual butterflies may only survive for about three weeks.
The upper image on the right is that of a male. The female lacks the distinctive orange tip to the forewings and cannot be easily recognised in flight. Even at rest, if the female is seen with wings flat wide open she could be mistaken for a Small White but with wngs closed, as in the lower image, the distinctive dappled grey/green markings on the underside reveal her true identity.
It is one of the earlier butterflies, the single generation usually being seen between May and July. Individual butterflies may only survive for about three weeks. And with the larval stage maturing and entering pupation within another four weeks or so, the species may only be 'active' for some three months each year. It is thus very susceptible to 'unseasonal' weather conditions.
The larvae feed on a range of crucifer (cabbage family) plants, eg Cuckoo flower, Garlic mustard and Large Bittercress. And I have seen the adults at rest on purple flowering Honesty (which is also a crucifer) but, never on the white flowering variety! Eggs are laid around the flower head and the caterpillars feed on the developing seed pods.
The image of the 32mm long, almost mature caterpillar was taken just four days before it started to pupate. By comparison with the Large White larvae, which can grow to 45mm, the Orange Tip is slim, sedate (slow moving) and its simple coloration makes for very effective camouflage.
The act of pupation took about 36 hours. The caterpillar becomes lethargic, the body appears to contract and 'bulk up' in the thoracic region just behind the head and it finds a suitable vertical stem to attach itself to. It then secretes silk from the mouth and in a series of slow twisting turns manages to loop this silken rope around its body and attach it to the stem.
There then follows a period of seemingly quiet inactivity before the skin splits and the chrysalis emerges - and I missed it!
| Date | Sighting |
| 24.05.2004 | Back garden, on the flower head of Honesty (Lunaria). |
| 15.05.2005 | 3 seen flying through garden. None appeared to settle. |
| 06.06.2005 | Several transitting the garden and settling on purple flowering Honesty. |
| 11.05.2006 | First of the season passed through garden. |
| 09.05.2007 | First of the season passed through garden without settling. |
| 03.05.2009 | First of the season, a female, paused on grass but was not seen to visit any flowers. |
| 08.06.2009 | First small creamy yellow, bristly caterpillars (only about 5mm long) seen on Garlic Mustard seed pods. |
| 30.06.2009 | 32mm caterpillar entered pupation. |
Brimstone
Gonepteryx rhamni
The common name, Brimstone, is taken from the vivid brimstone yellow of the upper surface of the male's wings. When seen In flight they really grab one's attention and there is nothing else they can be confused with. The female is less spectacular and the white upper surface of her wings can easily be mistaken for one of the 'White' buterflies.
At rest the under sides of the wings are a delicate pale greeny white with pale orange dots. The under wing also has a distinctive short 'tail' that helps confirm identification. Note also that the antennae curl forward at the tips.
The Brimstone is probably the longest lived of the UK butterflies. They hatch in July and will over-winter until the following spring. The fact that they are not obseved as often as one might expect is down to their habit of only indulging in short periods of activity and longer periods of rest. They do not seek shelter as many over wintering insects do, but will simply settle down in leaf litter and their body fluids appear to be able to tolerate freezing temperatures.
After mating in spring, eggs are laid on twigs of Buckthorn on which the green caterpillars feed exclusively.
| Date | Sighting |
| 07.04.2007 | Flew through the garden with only one short stop. |
| 20.04.2009 | Female spent some time on Aubretia flowers in mid-morning sunshine. |
| 21.04.2009 | Vivid bright yellow male flew through garden without stopping. |
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Meadow Brown
Maniola jurtina
The Meadow Brown must be the most common early summer butterfly in the hay meadow. From June onwards dozens of them can usually be seen flying above the grass. It is believed that they only live for about a month, so they have a busy time cramming a life's work into that time.
The male, shown on the upper right, is slightly smaller and has a more uniform and darker upper wing colouration with a pale border, than the female which has distinctly patterned wings.
The second image is of a female. The characteristic prominent 'eye' on the forewing is not always visible but the underwing pattern bands are representative of the more colourful brown and orange upperwing.
Whereas it is possible to discern three colour bands on the females rear underwing, the male has only two.
The larva is quite distinctive. Apart from being bristly from its head to the end of its abdomen, it also has two short bristly spikes protruding from the the end of its body. There is a faint darker green stripe running down the middle of its back and a faint thin white line low down along each side.
It feeds on grasses from September to May, hibernating in the grass roots through the worst winter weather and has quite a short pupation period through May and June.
Although the caterpillar normally feeds in a head-up manner, a few days before pupating, I observed one adopt a head-down posture on a grass stem as it entered a period of dormancy (diapause). The body slowly contracted and it gradually released it's grip on the stem until it was only holding on with its claspers.
Overnight, ( I have never actually seen this happen) the body 'skin' split and shriveled up to allow the pupa case to emerge in its very non-caterpillar shape but, still holding on by a group of fine hooks (the cremaster) at the end of the pupa case. At this stage it was pale green and transparent enough to see that the case contained clear fluid.
After 21 days, during which time, outwardly, little seemed to happen, the pupa became increasingly opaque and took on a pale ochre colour. Then, with 48 hours to go, it turned dark brown and in the last 24 hours became almost black as the colour of the wings and abdomen showed through the thin casing.
On emerging, it was plump and the wings were still tightly crumpled up. Slowly the wings were extended as fluid was pumped through the veins and when fully extended, excess fluid was discharged to allow the abdomen to take on its slim shape. After a period of about an hour to give time for the wings to stiffen, the wings were slowly flapped to test the wing muscles and then ....... off it flew.
| Date | Sighting |
| 22.06.2003 | Hay meadow. |
| 23.06.2004 | Hay meadow - dozens of them. |
| 15.08.2004 | A second generation of crisp new specimens seems to be emerging. |
| 22.06.2005 | First of the year seen in Hay meadow. |
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21.06.2006 to 13.07.2006 | A quite dramatic abundance seen in hay meadow. |
| 12.05.2007 | Larva found while pulling grass at base of fence. |
| 01.06.2007 | Larva entered pupation. |
| 28.06.2007 | Adult emerged from pupation and was released. |
Brown Argus
Aricia agetis
In the UK, the Brown Argus is confined to an area south of a line from Lancaster to Middlesborough and it can be confused with the similar looking and wider ranging Scotch Argus and the female Chalk-hill Blue. More confusion may exist in Europe, where three other Argus species are to be found.
It flies in two generations, from May to June and again from late July to August. Eggs are laid on three foodplants, Cranesbill, Storksbill and Rock-rose. Larvae from eggs laid in May mature very quickly and will pupate and emerge as adults in July. But, larvae emerging in September from eggs laid in July will overwinter in the larval state.
While the Brown Argus enjoys a wide distribution, breeding colonies tend to be quite selective in their choice of territory. I know of two popular breeding sites, 3 and 9 miles from my home yet, although there is no shortage of Cranebill and Storksbill in my area, I have never seen the species around my home.
| Date | Sighting |
| 25.07.2009 | Many seen flying on the Little Scrubbs nature reserve. |
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Common Blue
Polyommatus icarus
This is, as the name suggests, the most common blue butterfly and is found throughout lowland UK and can be found from Shetland all the way south to the Mediterranean islands.
Both male and female share the same very colourful underwing patterns.
The males (middle image) have a pale silver blue upper wing with a thin black line and outer white fringe.
The females usually have brown upper wings with a fringe of orange and black markings - but some females can also occur with blue upper wings and the characteristic orange and black marking. The one shown (lower image) being an intermediary with part brown and part blue upper wings.
Two, maybe three generations occur during the year and each butterfly may only survive for about 3 to 4 weeks.
The caterpillars feed on various members of the pea family, eg, clover, vetch, birdsfoot trefoil, black medick, etc. and the wide range of these plants accounts for the wide range of the butterfly.
| Date | Sighting |
| 01.08.1999 | Willingham Woods. |
| 28.05.2004 | Three males seen on the Protected Roadside Verge favouring Bird's Foot Trefoil. |
| 29.05.2005 | Several seen on the Tetford Hill Protected Roadside Verge. |
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Holly Blue
Celastrina argiolus
The upper sides of the wings are a uniform blue shading to an ill defined sooty dark broad leading edge. Newly hatched, the undersides are a paler greyish blue with numerous small black markings but, with age, tend to fade to pale grey with a blue blush at the basal section.
There are normally two generations each year in April - May and July - August.
Larvae from the first generation tend to feed on the flowers of Holly or Dogwood, while the second generation feed on Ivy flowers.
| Date | Sighting |
| 15.08.2004 | Found nectar sipping on Purple Loosestrife in garden. |
| 01.05.2005 | On laurel flowers by pond in garden. |
| 16.08.2005 | On Purple Loosestrife in garden. |
| 11.05.2006 | First of season seen on garden Mahonia. |
| 26.07.2006 | Second generation, paler, on Purple Loosestrife. |
| 18.04.2007 | First of 2007 season seen on garden Berberis (Barberry). |
| 06.05.2008 | First of 2008 season seen. |
| 29.04.2009 | First of 2009 season seen. |
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Large Skipper
Ochlodes venatum
The Skipper family of butterflies can be identified by several characteristics. Perhaps the most obvious is the tendancy not to fold the forewings flat when at rest. This could be a device to maximise the heat energy absorbtion in the wing veins.
The body is roughly the same length as the wings - other butterflies tend to have wings longer than their bodies - and, the Skippers' head, eyes and body seem bulkier than other butterflies. This makes the Skippers look 'chunkier' and more mothlike.
The upper image is of a male Large Skipper. The males are identified by the dark stripe on the forewings which indicates the position of the 'scent scales' on the wing.
The lower image is of a female taken on a cold windy day. I cautiously stretched out my hand to steady the waving grass stem that she was on and she casually walked on to my finger, allowing me to take three photographs before I persuaded her to return to nature. Probably because of the low temperature, she made no attempt to fully open her wings. The distinctive 'hook tips' of the antennae are a common feature in the Skippers.
The Large Skipper is to be found throughout lowland England and Wales but, is absent from Scotland and Ireland. The caterpillars main food sources are the Cocks-foot and False Brome grasses, which are generally in no short supply.
| Date | Sighting |
| 15.06.2003 | Protected Roadside Verge. |
| 15.06.2004(!) | Protected Roadside Verge. |
| 22.06.2006 | Protected Roadside Verge. |
| 13.07.2006 | First one recorded in garden on Phlox. |
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Small Skipper
Thymelicus flavus
The Small Skipper is reckoned to be one of the commonest of the Skippers but in my area it seems to be outnumbered by the Large Skipper.
With a forewing length of 15mm, it is only marginally smaller than the Large Skipper (FW 17mm) but identification is aided by the reduced wing markings. The upper wings are a warm brown ochre with darker edges and the male sports a thin dark 'scent' line. The under wings are a soft brown ochre with virtually no markings at all.
It is a single generation species, flying between June and August.
The larvae feed on grasses and are rarely seen. They spin loose protective cocoons within folded grass stems to which they retreat when not feeding.
| Date | Sighting |
| 28.07.2006 | Seen on Purple Loosestrife in garden |
| 25.07.2009 | Seen in Little Scrubb's Meadow nature reserve |
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Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta
The Red Admiral must be one of the best known of UK butterflies. Its dramatic colouring is unlikely to be mistaken for anything else and it is to be found almost everywhere in the UK from May through to October. However the population is largely dependant upon foreign migrants.
The early arrivals produce broods which will hatch from July onwards. These newly emerged butterflies have vivid velvet black coloured wings with sharply contrasting red and white markings. They feed on the nectar of a wide range of garden plants, including Purple Loosestrife, Buddleia, Scabious, Michaelmas Daisies and Sedum Spectabile (as seen in the upper picture) - and also on the juices of fallen fruit.
I was surprised by the colouring of the pictured caterpillar, found in mid-August. I had always assumed them to be black and spiky. But, it seems, the main body colour can range all the way from black, through brown to muddy green as it matures. And prior to pupation the spikiness appears to intensify. The pale back stripe and side markings are always constant. The larva shown was 26mm long, but at full stretch, they can attain 35mm.
The food source of the caterpillars is the stinging nettle, Urtica dioica. When not feeding, the caterpillars sew the edges of a nettle leaf together to form a refuge tent, which may account for them not being seen all that often. This specimen had nibbled through the main leaf vein where it joined the leaf stalk (as seen in the third image) which quickly caused the leaf to wilt. Within a few hours the limp leaf was sewn up with sticky thread to shield the larva from predators (lower image). The same technique is used for pupation, the pupa being encapsulated within a folded leaf.
A few butterflies from this second generation may hibernate in the UK over winter but the majority will migrate south to continental Europe in late September and October.
| Date | Sighting |
| 02.08.2003 | Back garden. |
| 31.08.2004 | Back garden. |
| 08.07.2005 | Window sill. |
| 15.08.2005 | Larva found in the process of constructing a nettle leaf tent. |
| 18.09.2005 | Four seen together in garden. |
| 17.06.2006 | First of the season seen in garden. |
| 28.06.2007 | First of the season seen in paddock. |
| 13.08.2008 | First of the season seen on white Buddleia. |
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Small Tortoiseshell
Aglais urticae
The Small Tortoiseshell is one of the most common butterflies to be found throughout the length and breadth of the UK - with the exception of the very highest ground. It is often found in gardens where some of its favourite nectar plants are Purple Loosestrife, Buddleia, and Sedum spectabile (Ice plant).
The bright contrasting colours of the wing pattern show very little variation throughout the species and there should be little difficulty in recognising it from the similarly coloured orange and black Painted Lady.
It is a true resident, hibernating through the winter as an adult butterfly in sheltered places, often in sheds, garages or under eaves. Therefore it is one of the first to appear in early Spring, when it ventures forth, depending on the weather, to mate and lay its eggs on the common stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) - from which it derives its Latin name.
The young larvae hatch out 'en masse' into a loose, straggling nest of spun silk which forms a protective nursery for dozens of small black caterpillars. As they grow they develop creamy side stripes and pale grey speckles on each body segment. As the growing family consumes the surrounding foliage, individuals are soon driven to 'leave home' in search of food.
The first generation will produce mature adults in June, giving rise to a second generation whose adults will emerge in August / September. The resident population can be re-inforced by migrants from the continent in mid-summer.
Many butterfly chrysalis and moth pupae are very difficult, if not impossible to identify but, the Small Tortoiseshell chrysalis is distinctive and one of the more easily recognised. The one illustrated was found in July and so would hatch into a second generation adult.
| Date | Sighting |
| 09.08.2003 | Back garden. |
| 09.04.2004 | First butterfly sighting of the year, in the hay meadow. Probably a winter hibernated adult. |
| 08.09.2004 | Seven spent most of the afternoon on Sedum spectabile. |
| 17.07.2005 | First one of the season seen in garden. |
| 01.09.2005 | One seen on Hameringham Hill PRV. |
| 18.09.2005 | Four seen together in garden. |
| 11.07.2006 | Chrysalis found hanging from garage door. |
| 14.07.2006 | First of the second generation seen flying in the meadow. |
| 04.08.2006 | Big colony of larvae found on nettles in NE corner of N paddock. |
| 19.08.2006 | Despite not having seen many adults this year, there appear to be many colonies of caterpillars on nettles in the locality. |
| 14.08.2008 | After a generally poor butterfly year, 13 second generation adults graced the Sedum spectabile. |
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Comma
Polygonia c-album
Finding the caterpillar was quite a surprise. Although we see the butterfly in the garden most years, I had never seen anything quite as exotic looking as this.
There can be two generations a year and the caterpillars feed on Stinging Nettle, Elm, Hop and currant bushes.
As with many butterfly species, pupation takes place hanging head down, usually from the underside of a leaf or stem of the food plant. And while chrysalis identification can often be rather difficult, in the case of the Comma, small refective patches (either gold or silver depending upon the light) make the pupa quite distinctive.
Second generation adult butterflies will overwinter and produce first generation caterpillars in May and June and butterflies in late June and July. The second generation caterpillars appear in July and August, resulting in the butterflies flying in September which will overwinter.
The butterfly's wing shape is quite irregular and distinctive, the rear wing sporting quite prominent spurs or tails on the trailing edge.
The lower image shows the mottled brown marking of the underwing, very similar to tree bark - and the striking white comma mark, from which it gets it's common name.
| Date | Sighting |
| 22.08.2004 | Caterpillar found when grubbing out nettles from the roadside hedge. |
| 15.09.2004 | Two butterflies seen on Sedum spectabile in back garden. |
| 20.09.2005 | First of the season seen on Sedum spectabile in back garden. |
| 27.07.2006 | Two very threadbare specimens - last of the first generation?. |
| 31.07.2006 | One in pristine condition - first of the second generation? |
| 19.08.2006 | Caterpillar found on Stinging Nettle, Urtica dioica. |
| 24.08.2006 | Caterpillar found on 19.08.2006 pupated. |
| 25.03.2007 | First adult of season seen at Benniworth conservation area. |
| 17.09.2007 | Second generation specimen seen on Buddleia. |
| 17.09.2008 | Second generation specimen seen on Sedum spectabile. |
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Wall Brown
Lasiommata megera
Previous attempts to photograph the Wall Brown had been frustrated by its skittish behaviour and the closest I had got to one was 6 feet. But patience is a virtue. The image on the right was taken from a range of only 4 inches.
The upper image is that of a female. The males tend to be rather more heavily marked and have a broad 'scent mark' running midway across the forewing. The rear underwing (lower image) is patterned with delicate tracery and false eyes on a silver/grey background.
This is a butterfly which favours open, dry places and it is often found by roadsides, dry sandy fields and gravel pits. It is not a strong flier and spends much of its time sunning itself at ground level.
There are normally two generations each year. The first flying between May and June, and the second from late July to October.
It is common throughout lowland England and Wales. The caterpillars feed on grasses and hibernate through the winter.
| Date | Sighting |
| 13.08.2003 | Hay meadow. |
| 07.06.2004 | Hay meadow. Two of them vying for the sunniest basking places. |
| 29.05.2005 | Female seen on Bluestone Heath PRV. |
| 02.06.2005 | Male seen on Hameringham Hill PRV. |
| 05.06.2006 | Newly emerged, crisp and clean, adult found in long grass. |
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Small Copper
Lycaena phlaeas
This is a true resident species. The larvae are to be found on the leaves of Rumex (Sorrel, Dock, etc,) and will hibernate through the winter in a silk web on the underside of the leaves.
On awakening, they will feed up and then pupate for about a month before the butterflies emerge in May/June.
Two or three generations may be produced within a year.
| Date | Sighting |
| 28.05.2004 | In warm sunshine on the Protected Roadside Verge. |
| 23.09.2006 | A very smart crisp (presumably third generation) specimen supping nectar from Sedum spectabile in garden. |
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Painted Lady
Cynthia cardui
Apart from the southern coast of England, the Painted Lady is not a regular sight every year. But, the year 2003, saw quite an invasion of Painted Lady butterflies arriving from as far afield as south-west Europe and North Africa, in April and May.
Obviously they must be strong fliers and it is almost possible to identify them in flight. Compared with the average 'fluttering' habit of most common British butterflies, the Painted Lady appears to have a very 'positive, purposeful' flight pattern.
An early influx can give rise to a 'locally' produced second generation and, depending on the weather, these will be on the wing from late July. The upper image, showing a specimen in pristine condition in late July, was one of a large second generation population seen at the Chambers Farm Wood nature reserve in 2009.
The species is often seen basking in warm sunshine with their wings spread wide open. This makes measurement of the wing a relatively simple task from photographs of the resting site. Although textbooks tend to quote a forewing length of 30mm, I have estimated several specimens with a forewing of 36mm which implies a wingspan of 75mm or, 3 inches. They certainly give the impression of being large butterflies.
It is not thought that they attempt to emigrate back to their original homeland. Nor have they yet adapted to the cold wet winters and many will succumb to British winters. A few may survive in sheltered areas of southern UK but, there is no substantial resident population and most of the early specimens seen will have covered great distances to get here.
| Date | Sighting |
| 28.07.2003 | Back garden. |
| 28.07.2006 | A pair seen on Purple Loosestrife in back garden. |
| 28.05.2009 | A single 'worn' first generation immigrant specimen seen on Purple Loosestrife in back garden. |
| 25.07.2009 | Many of the second generation seen at Chambers Farm Wood nature reserve. |
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Peacock
Inachis io
The Peacock is another well known and common butterfly throughout most of the UK, although its northern limit does not extend beyond lowland Scotland, except in very warm summers. It is a widespread and common species on the continent.
It is a resident species, hibernating over winter in sheltered places such as sheds, garages and barns. But, although it flies early in the year, in the UK it only mates once. However, global warming may encourage it to breed twice as it does in Europe. The eggs are laid on stinging nettles and large numbers of the black spiky haired caterpillars are often seen together.
The butterfly may live for a year which is long by butterfly standards, They seem to favour Buddleia but before the Buddleia blooms it can be found on a wide range of nectar sources. It is also fond of sunning itself in sheltered spots.
| Date | Sighting |
| 30.07.2003 | Back garden. |
| 17.04.2004 | Hay Meadow, eastern roadside ditch. |
| 26.08.2004 | Back garden. |
| 17.08.2005 | At last! After a very sparse year, 4 in Back garden. |
| 27.10.2005 | And two very smart looking specimens sunning themselves in back garden. |
| 31.07.2006 | One, very smart looking specimenflew through the garden. |
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Speckled Wood
Pararge aegeria tircis
Reputedly common in the south and west of England, Wales and Ireland. Prior to 2004, I think I had only seen one in this area. But, I get the impression that it is becoming much more common.
There appear to be two distinct sub species documented. In Eastern Europe and Asia, P. aegeria appears as a much lighter, almost orange form, whereas in Western Europe and the UK, P aegeria tircis has a decidedly darker brown coloration - until it comes to rest in full sunlight, when it looks considerably lighter. All very confusing. However it seems safe to say that any seen in the UK are more than likely to be the latter sub species.
My impression is that they are most approachable on hot sunny days as they bask in the sun. On cooler, breezy days they seem to be much more nervous.
There are usually two generations per year, flying in May/June and July/August. The larvae are grass eaters but, as the name suggests, the adults favour open spaces close to the margins of woods.
The pupa in the image is in the early stages of pupation. As the metamorphosis progresses the speckling of the adult wings shows through and the case becomes much darker. This larva, despite being a grass eater, had chosen to pupate on the underside of a nettle leaf where it would remain better hidden than if it had chosen to pupate on an exposed grass stem.
| Date | Sighting |
| 10.06.2004 | Midday, western side North paddock. TF 305 662 |
| 04.07.2004 | Midday, by sheep shed, Burton's paddock. TF 305 662 |
| 01.08.2004 | Midday, North paddock. TF 305 662 |
| 01.09.2005 | Many about all day in the garden. Four max at any one time. |
| 14.06.2006 | First two of the season, one in the garden, one in the cupressus hedge. |
| 11.07.2006 | A rather tattered specimen found in the garden. |
| 19.08.2006 | Pupa found on underside of nettle leaf under an Ash tree. |
| 01.06.2007 | First of the season, visited hawthorn hedge. |
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Ringlet
Aphantopus hyperantus
One generation per year, usually flying between June and August.
Caterpillars hatching in September hibernate through the winter until the grasses on which they feed start into new growth.
The subject in the upper image is showing some wear and tear, but this gives the impression of the universally dark wings with a thin white border.
The lower image shows the underside of the wings carrying a chain of prominent ring like (ocelli) markings.
| Date | Sighting |
| 01.07.2004 | Five on the PRV, two in the hay meadow. |
| 05.07.2004 | Quite suddenly there now seem to be more Ringlets than Meadow Browns about. |
| 01.07.2005 | One on the north paddock, one in the hay meadow. |
| 08.06.2006 | Many seen in the hay meadow. Best early show in years. |
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Gatekeeper
Pyronia tithonus
The single generation flies in July and August. Individual butterflies survive about three weeks and favour sheltered spots in the corners of fields - where gates may be located!
Main nectar sources for the adults are blackberry and bramble flowers. The larvae, hatching in September, feed on grasses eg, Annual Meadow grass and Couch, and hibernate over winter, sheltering low down on grass stems. Pupation occurs around June.
With wings folded there could be some danger of confusing the Gatekeeper with the Meadow Brown. But the underwing patterning of the Gatekeeper is rather more well defined and the black 'eye' on the forewing has two discrete white dots whereas the Meadow Brown has but one.
Pictured upper right, resting on bracken in a large wild flower meadow, -
and lower right, on garden Purple-loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria,
...............and there was a gate nearby!
| Date | Sighting |
| 19.07.2004 | Garden visitor. |
| 17.07.2005 | 4 seen in the garden favouring Chrysanthemum maximum (Shasta Daisy) rather than the potentilla they used last year. |
| 17.07.2006 | First of season seen in the garden favouring Chrysanthemum maximum (Shasta Daisy) again. |
| 25.07.2009 | Many seen in the wild flower rich Little Scrubb's Meadow nature reserve. |
Marsh Fritillary
Eurodryas aurinia
The Marsh Fritillary, once considered common throughout the Uk is now becoming localised in western parts and concern is being expressed about its future. Although I have never seen it in my local area a healthy population exists on a Nature Reserve only 8 miles away.
It is a single generation species with the adults flying from May to July. Although the name implies that it favours wet marshy habitats it is found in chalky and calcareous open grassland areas that will support Devil's-bit Scabious on which the larvae feed.
The caterpillars are black, speckled with tiny white dots and have spiky tufts of short black bristles. They feed communally in silken web 'tents' for protection and overwinter as larvae before pupating in an attractive white chrysalis marked with black and yellow.
| Date | Sighting |
| 21.05.2008 | Many individuals flying and mating in a local Nature Reserve. |