Identification Guide to the Butterflies of the Malvern Hills
Identification guide to the Butterflies of the Malvern Hills Dingy Skipper Essex Skipper Small Skipper Large Skipper Erynnis tages Thymelicus lineola Thymelicus sylvestris Ochlodes venata
Upperside similar to Small Skipper A small golden brown butterfly. Female upperside golden brown with pale spots. except sex brand on male is The Male has a feint oblique black sex brand on each forewing. Upperside brown with pale shorter, straighter and finer. markings. Underside Male golden brown similar with fewer Underside tip of with distinctive markings. antennae glossy diagonal black sex black giving the brand on the upper A small butterfly appearance that forewings. which is generally moth- they have been like in appearance. dipped in ink. Underside of antennae orange. Orange Tip Large White Small White Green-veined White Anthocharis cardamines Pieris brassicae Pieris rapae Pieris napi
Upperside white with black tips to Male upperside white with Upperside marked with two black spots Upperside white with light grey wing tips forewing extending further down wing distinctive orange tips to and dark grey/black wing tips. and black spots. The male has a feint edge than other whites. The female forewings. Female similar to The male has a single black spot on black spot on each forewing. also has two black spots that male but lacks orange markings. each forewing. are absent in the male. Both sexes have a small black eye spot in centre of forewing. Underside similar Underside yellowish with distinctly in both sexes, pale veined markings, often visible from Underside mottled green hindwings yellow, dusted with Underside similar to large white the upperside. Markings generally of both sexes very distinctive. grey scales. but generally more grey scaling. paler in summer brood.
Clouded Yellow Brimstone Speckled Wood Small Heath Colias croceus Gonepteryx rhamni Pararge aegeria Coenonympha pamphilus
Upperside yellow with black margins rarely Upperside Upperside mid/dark brown with The uppersides of the Small Heath are rarely seen except in flight as the Clouded rarely seen as series of yellow/cream blotches and seen as the butterfly always lands with Yellow always lands with its the brimstone black eyespots with white pupils, its wings closed. wings closed. always lands with its one on forewing and wings closed. normally three on the Underside orange on Underside deep yellowy hindwing. forewing. Hindwing has a orange, black spot on forewing Male bright lemon yellow, female pale greenish white, easily pale brown furry appearance with with white spots fringed in confused with large white in flight. Both sexes have a pale brown Underside mottled grey and brown, paler rings/spots towards the red in centre of hindwing. spot on underside of both wings. usually forewing eye spot can be seen outer edge. from underside.
Ringlet Meadow Brown Gatekeeper Marbled White Aphantopus hyperantus Maniola jurtina Pyronia tithonus Melanargia galathea
Upperside, dark chocolate brown, Upperside dark brown with splash of Upperside double pupilled eyespot, smaller Upperside, very distinctive black and male almost black, number of orange which is more extensive on than Meadow Brown. Upperside male white chequerboard pattern. eyespots towards margin the female around single orange with prominent brown sex brand of both wings. pupilled eyespot. cutting across forewing. The female is similar but lacks sex brand.
Inner margin of underside mid brown Underside darker inner band Underside similar to upperside, eyespots on paler towards wing edge with small black on hindwing then paler towards wing edge, Underside has a similar pattern, hindwing hindwing generally five in number. dots noticeable on some specimens. white spots within paler area. markings black on male, brown on female.
Grayling Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Silver-washed Fritillary Dark Green Fritillary Hipparchia semele Boloria selene Argynnis paphia Argynnis aglaja The male displays a more obvious grey zigzag band than the female across the underside Distinctive marks on left forewing Male bright orange, black streaks on the forewing. Upperside golden orange with of the hind wing. resemble the number 730. Female, dusky, greenish-orange, black spots. Line of chevrons black spots on forewing. along wing edges. Both male and female display two black Uppersides Orange/ eyespots on the underside of the forewing, brown with dark brown/black Underside hindwing each with a white pupil, but on the male spots and veins. Underside, both sexes, greenish greenish with one pupil is usually less distinct. Orange with silvery streaks. creamy yellow and brown upper-wings only seen during margins and Underside large bold black silver spots. courtship; the male has obvious dark spot in central hindwing cell. sex brands on upper forewings.
White Admiral Red Admiral Painted Lady Peacock Limenitis camilla Vanessa atalanta Vanessa cardui Inachis io
Dark chocolate brown Upperside velvet black with red diagonal stripe, white spots near Upperside spotted with shades of Upperside mainly maroon with unmistakeable upperside with distinctive wing tips and red border to hindwings. pinkish orange and brown with large peacock eye spots on all four wings. white bands across all black tips and white four wings. Underside mottled, grey, brown and spots to forewings. Underside dark black. Very well camouflaged. brown/black.
Underside similar to upper pattern but lighter in tone with blue/grey patch on inner margin of hindwing.
Small Tortoiseshell Comma Small Copper Purple Hairstreak Aglais urticae Polygonia c-album Lycaena phlaeas Favonius quercus
Upperside orange Upperside orange with Coppery metallic Upperside black overshot with iridescent with black spots and black markings. orange forewings purple. Male has extensive purple colouration a margin of blue with black spots, while female has a patch of purple on crescents on a black Distinctive brown hindwings the upper band along outside scalloped edge to with orange band forewings. edges of all wings and white along trailing edge. four wings. ‘comma’ mark Underside, on underside. silver grey with white line Underside wide black inner band, narrower Underside pale brown with small black crossing both wings with dark pupilled and paler outer band with dark margin. dots and orange band on edge of hindwing. orange eye spot near base of hindwing.
Green Hairstreak White-letter Hairstreak Holly Blue Brown Argus Callophrys rubi Satyrium w-album Celastrina argiolus Aricia agestis
Upperside male is pale Upperside of wings uniform brown Uniform brown upperside of wings rarely seen as Upperside blue with narrow black but rarely seen as the green butterfly always lands with its wings closed. uniform brown margin. Female has broader, hairstreak always lands with with orange lunules distinctive black margins on its wings closed. Distinctive underside brown with along the outer edge of all upper forewings. white line crossing both wings. four wings. Underside bright metallic green Broken line on hind wing Underside silvery pale blue Underside similar to Common Blue but sometimes with a line of white W-shaped. Orange margin with with tiny black spots. the arrangements of spots near leading spots crossing the hindwing. silvery blue spot towards the tail edge of hindwing resemble a colon of the hindwing. punctuation mark.
Common Blue Drab Looper Moth Six-spot Burnet Moth Scarlet Tiger Moth Polyommatus icarus Minoa murinata Zygaena filipendulae Callimorpha dominula
Upper forewings have dark metallic Upperside of the male green sheen with six red spots; upper is bright blue with obvious Upper forewings have a hind wings are red with dark border. white fringes while the female dark metallic-green sheen
is brown with varying amounts of blue with cream spots, upper Easily confused with Narrow- scaling and orange chevron hindwings are red with bordered Five-spot Burnet which markings on edge of wings. black patches occurs in fewer numbers, has five Rare small velvet spots on the forewing and a narrower brown moth seen on Extra spot here distinguishes the dark border on the hind wing. Common Blue from Brown Argus. Wood Spurge