- Brimstone
Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni): The Brimstone is a great wanderer and, as one of the longest-lived UK species, can be seen in almost every month of the year. There are two distinct emergences; one on the first warm days of spring and the other in high summer, when the butterfly is seen nectaring on plants like ... - Brown Argus
Brown Argus (Aricia agestis): This small brown butterfly emerges at the same time as the Common Blue and is usually found in similar places. There are two broods a year. The female lays on the common rock rose and dove’s foot cranesbill and the caterpillars are also attended by ants. In the cemetery, it is ... - Comma (Polygonia c-album)
Comma (Polygonia c-album): An early butterfly, it emerges after winter hibernation, using nettles as the larval food plant. Often found warming up on sunny gravestones, it is named after the white mark on the underside of the wing. The next generation from July to August also includes a summer form – P hutchinsoni – which ... - Common Blue
Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus): An iconic butterfly, the Common Blue emerges in late spring, around the middle of May. The larvae feed on leguminous plants such as common birds-foot trefoil, and are often attended by ants, which receive a sweet sugary secretion as a reward for protecting the caterpillar. A second brood can be seen ... - Holly Blue
Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus): This pretty butterfly emerges in April after pupating over winter. This generation lays eggs on the base of holly flowers, where the pupae feed on the developing flowers and berries. They emerge as adults in July and August, when the female, distinguished by a black margins of the upper front wings, ... - Large Skipper
Large Skipper (Ochlodes faunus): This butterfly is found in sheltered areas of grassland, where grasses grow tall. It emegres from June and has one generation each year. The caterpillars eat a variety of foodplants, including birds-foot trefoil and brambles. In autumn, the larva forms a stout tube from a grass stem in which to hibernate. ... - Large White
Large White (Pieris brassicae): The larger of the two Cabbage White butterflies that infest gardens and farms across the UK. A friend planted a ‘sacrifice’ crop of nasturtium in his garden; however, once the caterpillars had finished them, they finished off his cabbages as well! The Large White emerges in early spring, and has two ... - Meadow Brown
Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina): Widely distributed in the UK, this is the ubiquitous brown butterfly of grasslands everywhere. It emerges from overwintering as a caterpillar in May and as an adult from late June; it can be seen right through to September. The female has more orange on its wings than the male and there ... - Orange Tip
Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines): This brightly-coloured butterfly (the males at least) is seen from April until early June, when females who lack the orange tips of the male look for plants like cuckoo-flower and garlic mustard on which to lay their eggs. The green larvae then feed on the developing seed pods before overwintering as ... - Painted Lady
Painted Lady (Cynthia cardui): This large and colourful butterfly is a continental visitor, arriving any time from early spring to breed in the UK. The females lay eggs on thistles, where the caterpillars feed until they pupate, emerging about three weeks later as adults. In 2009, tens of millions of Painted Ladies arrived in the ...
Want to know more about butterflies?
Anyone interested in learning more about butterflies can join Butterfly Conservation and look on the local branch site.
An excellent resource for further research can be found at one of the UK’s premier natural history websites, UK Butterflies.