Contents

Foreword ...... 7 Preface ...... 9 Introduction ...... 10 How butterflies and moths differ ...... 12 The life-cycle of a butterfly ...... 14

Butterfly biology...... 15 Egg ...... 15 Caterpillar ...... 16 Chrysalis ...... 17 Adult ...... 18

Where to look for butterflies ...... 24 Gardening for butterflies ...... 25 Butterfly habitats ...... 26 Favoured habitats ...... 32 Key places for rare and localized butterflies ...... 33

How to identify butterflies ...... 34 Key features of adult butterflies ...... 34 Butterfly identification ...... 35 Colour variation: forms and aberrations ...... 36 The types of butterfly ...... 38

Glossary ...... 40

THE SPECIES ACCOUNTS (See the following pages for full list) ...... 41

Species of doubtful provenance ...... 192

Caterpillar foodplants ...... 194 Butterfly nectar sources and caterpillar foodplants ...... 202

Eggs, caterpillars and chrysalises...... 206 Eggs ...... 207 Caterpillars ...... 212 Chrysalises ...... 219

List of British and Irish butterflies...... 225

Butterfly watching and photography ...... 230 Butterfly Conservation ...... 231 Recording and monitoring ...... 231 Conservation and legislation ...... 232 Further reading ...... 234 Sources of further information and useful addresses ...... 235 Acknowledgements and photographic/artwork credits ...... 236 Index of English and scientific names ...... 239 THE SPECIES ACCOUNTS The species accounts in this book are divided into two sections: breeding and annual migrants, and vagrants and former breeding species . For ease of reference the species are ordered so as to present similar-looking species as close together as possible . This means that the butterflies do not always appear in strict taxonomic order, although they are listed in taxonomic order in the table on pages 225–229 .

BREEDING AND ANNUAL MIGRANT SPECIES ...... 42 Skippers Small Skipper ...... Thymelicus sylvestris...... 42 Essex Skipper ...... Thymelicus lineola...... 44 Lulworth Skipper ...... Thymelicus acteon...... 46 Silver-spotted Skipper ...... Hesperia comma ...... 48 Large Skipper ...... Ochlodes sylvanus ...... 50 Chequered Skipper ...... Carterocephalus palaemon ...... 52 Grizzled Skipper ...... Pyrgus malvae ...... 54 Dingy Skipper ...... Erynnis tages ...... 56 Whites and Yellows Clouded Yellow ...... Colias croceus ...... 58 Brimstone ...... Gonepteryx rhamni ...... 60 Large White ...... Pieris brassicae ...... 62 Small White ...... Pieris rapae ...... 64 Green-veined White ...... Pieris napi ...... 66 Orange-tip ...... Anthocharis cardamines ...... 68 Wood White ...... Leptidea sinapis ...... 70 Cryptic Wood White ...... Leptidea juvernica ...... 72 Swallowtails Swallowtail ...... Papilio machaon ...... 74 Hairstreaks, Blues and Coppers Green Hairstreak ...... Callophrys rubi ...... 76 Brown Hairstreak ...... Thecla betulae ...... 78 Black Hairstreak ...... Satyrium pruni ...... 80 White-letter Hairstreak ...... Satyrium w-album ...... 82 Purple Hairstreak ...... Neozephyrus quercus ...... 84 Holly Blue ...... Celastrina argiolus ...... 86 Small Blue ...... Cupido minimus ...... 88 Brown Argus ...... Aricia agestis ...... 90 Northern Brown Argus ...... Aricia artaxerxes ...... 92 Silver-studded Blue ...... Plebeius argus ...... 94 Common Blue ...... Polyommatus icarus ...... 96 Adonis Blue ...... Polyommatus bellargus ...... 98 Chalkhill Blue ...... Polyommatus coridon ...... 100 Large Blue ...... Glaucopsyche arion ...... 102 Small Copper ...... Lycaena phlaeas ...... 104 Metalmarks Duke of Burgundy ...... Hamearis lucina ...... 106 Fritillaries Heath Fritillary ...... Melitaea athalia ...... 108 Marsh Fritillary ...... Euphydryas aurinia ...... 110 Glanville Fritillary ...... Melitaea cinxia ...... 112 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary ...... Boloria selene ...... 114 Pearl-bordered Fritillary ...... Boloria euphrosyne ...... 116 High Brown Fritillary ...... Argynnis adippe ...... 118 Dark Green Fritillary ...... Argynnis aglaja ...... 120 Silver-washed Fritillary ...... Argynnis paphia ...... 122

Nymphalids, Emperors and Allies White Admiral ...... Limenitis camilla ...... 124 Purple Emperor ...... Apatura iris ...... 126 Red Admiral ...... Vanessa atalanta ...... 128 Painted Lady ...... Vanessa cardui ...... 130 Small Tortoiseshell ...... Aglais urticae ...... 132 Peacock ...... Inachis io ...... 134 Comma ...... Polygonia c-album ...... 136 Browns Marbled White ...... Melanargia galathea ...... 138 Speckled Wood ...... Pararge aegeria ...... 140 Wall ...... Lasiommata megera ...... 142 Grayling ...... Hipparchia semele ...... 144 Gatekeeper ...... Pyronia tithonus ...... 146 Meadow Brown ...... Maniola jurtina ...... 148 Ringlet ...... Aphantopus hyperantus ...... 150 Mountain Ringlet ...... Erebia epiphron ...... 152 Scotch Argus ...... Erebia aethiops ...... 154 Small Heath ...... Coenonympha pamphilus ...... 156 Large Heath ...... Coenonympha tullia ...... 158

FORMER BREEDING SPECIES (†) AND OCCASIONAL MIGRANTS ...... 160

(†) Black-veined White ...... Aporia crataegi ...... 162 Bath White ...... Pontia daplidice ...... 164 Pale Clouded Yellow ...... Colias hyale ...... 166 Berger’s Clouded Yellow ...... Colias alfacariensis ...... 166 (†) Large Copper ...... Lycaena dispar ...... 168 Long-tailed Blue ...... Lampides boeticus ...... 170 Short-tailed Blue ...... Everes argiades ...... 172 (†) Mazarine Blue ...... Cyaniris semiargus ...... 174 Geranium Bronze ...... Cacyreus marshalli ...... 176 Map ...... Araschnia levana ...... 178 Queen of Spain Fritillary ...... Issoria lathonia ...... 180 Scarce Tortoiseshell ...... Nymphalis xanthomelas ...... 182 (†) Large Tortoiseshell ...... Nymphalis polychloros ...... 184 Camberwell Beauty ...... Nymphalis antiopa ...... 186 Monarch ...... Danaus plexippus ...... 188 Arran Brown ...... Erebia ligea ...... 190 A male Silver-studded Blue on bell Silver-studdedheather at Kelling Blue Heath, Norfolk .