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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.
Butterflies of the British Isles PAGE 2
A gallery of photographs taken by Adrian Hoskins
 
Click here for British butterfly species index
 
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Click on thumbnails to see more photos, and detailed descriptions of the distribution, habitats, lifecycle and behaviour of each illustrated species......
 
Green Hairstreak
Callophrys rubi
 
The Green Hairstreak occurs throughout most of the British Isles, but is quite localised, being mainly found on scrubby hillsides or warm sheltered valley bottoms. In southern England it particularly favours the lower slopes of south-facing hillsides where there are hedgerows of hawthorn, blackthorn, elder or gorse. It also occurs in lesser numbers along disused railway cuttings, in woodland clearings, old chalk quarries, and on dry heathlands. In northern Britain the butterfly is found, sometimes in large numbers, on moors, sphagnum bogs and wet lowland heaths.
Duke of Burgundy
Hamearis lucina
 
This attractive little butterfly is the sole European representative of the family Riodinidae, an incredibly fascinating group of butterflies, usually known as metalmarks, which has it's headquarters in South America. It emerges in May, and occurs in small colonies on scrubby sheltered grassland where it's larval foodplant cowslip grows in profusion. Colonies also exist in woodland clearings, where it uses it's alternative foodplant primrose. The adults usually bask with wings held half open, and nectar mainly at wood spurge.
Silver-studded Blue
Plebejus argus
 
The Silver-studded Blue is a very localised species, but in suitable habitats the populations are often very large. It breeds chiefly on humid heaths in Hampshire, Dorset and Surrey, favouring sheltered areas that have regenerated following burning. Colonies also exist on coastal dunes in Cornwall, south Devon and the Gower peninsula of south Wales. There are also large populations on limestone cliffs on the isle of Anglesey, and small populations in limestone quarries at Portland, Dorset.
Grizzled Skipper
Pyrgus malvae
 
The Grizzled Skipper flies very rapidly, usually very close to the ground, and is difficult to follow in flight. It emerges in late April or May, and can be found in grassy habitats where there is broken ground, and where it's larval foodplants creeping cinquefoil and wild strawberry flourish. Favourite nectar sources include bird's foot trefoil, bugle, ground ivy, buttercups and dandelions. In overcast weather the butterflies often bask on bare soil or stones. In late afternoon they go to roost on dead flower-heads.
Brown Hairstreak
Thecla betulae
 
The Brown Hairstreak's name is derived from the white hair-line streaks on the underside. In Britain it is a rarity, occurring in small colonies scattered mainly across Hampshire, West Sussex, Dorset, Somerset, and Oxfordshire. It emerges in early August and lays it's white eggs singly in the forks of blackthorn twigs. It is primarily a hedgerow species, but can also be found in blackthorn thickets, along woodland rides, or on scrubby grassland. The adults are elusive, spending much of their time at the top of ash trees, but occasionally descend to nectar at hemp agrimony, or fleabane.
Marbled White
Melanargia galathea
 
The distinctive chequered black and white pattern of the Marbled White is quite unlike that of most other Satyrines, which tend to be patterned in shades of brown and orange. Recent evidence suggests that the markings are a form of aposematic coloration, which functions to warn insectivorous birds about the toxic nature of the butterfly. It emerges in July, and occurs in the greatest numbers on un-grazed or very lightly grazed grasslands. Smaller colonies exist in certain woodlands, where they breed along grass avenues, or in large clearings or permanent glades.
Comma
Polygonia c-album
 
The Comma gets it's name from the silvery-white comma shaped marking on the underside hindwing. It was formerly rare, but is now a common species in the southern half of Britain. It can be found in many different habitats including woodland, grassland, meadows, and gardens. The butterfly lays it's eggs on stinging nettles or sometimes on elms. The caterpillar is brownish black, with orange spikes, and a long splash of white along it's back. It can be seen resting on the upper surface of nettle leaves.
White-letter Hairstreak
Satyrium w-album
 
Prior to the 1970's, when Dutch elm disease destroyed millions of elms, this was a common and widespread species in southern Britain, though it has always been considered elusive, as it spends most of it's life at the top of elm trees. White-letter Hairstreak larvae feed exclusively on the flowers and leaves of elms, so the loss of literally millions of trees spelt devastation for the butterfly. It is now a rare insect, but can sometimes be seen nectaring at bramble blossom or thistles in the vicinity of elms.
Grayling
Hipparchia semele
 
When disturbed, Graylings take flight instantly, twisting and looping rapidly, before re-settling nearby. Upon landing they snap the wings shut, but raise the forewings so that the eyespot near the apex is visible. This way, if a bird attacks, it is likely to aim at the eyespot rather than at the body of the butterfly. Once the butterfly feels "safe", it lowers the forewing, hiding the eyespot. It then tilts it's wings sharply over to one side, minimising it's shadow, and presenting the maximum wing area to the sun so that it absorbs heat and always has energy to fly if disturbed again.
Clouded Yellow
Colias crocea
 
The Clouded Yellow, like most other members of the Coliadinae, is a strongly migratory species. Both sexes fly rapidly and purposefully in search of breeding sites. Once they discover a suitable area they tend to stay for several days, patrolling back and forth on a regular "beat", exhibiting a regular cycle of nectaring, resting and searching for potential mates. On warm sunny days they spend long periods flying from flower to flower, nectaring at scabious, knapweeds, cat's ear, ground thistles, mouse-ear hawkweed, clovers, vetches and lucerne.
Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
 
The Painted Lady is the most widely distributed butterfly in the world, found in North America, and south to the Caribbean islands and Venezuela. In the Old World it occurs throughout Europe and temperate Asia, over most of Africa, Madagascar, the Azores, the Canary Islands, the Arab states, and throughout the Indian subcontinent including Sri Lanka. In the Far East it occurs in Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra - and extends it's range south through the Indonesian islands to Western Australia. In Britain it occurs as a migrant originating in North Africa.
Speckled Wood
Pararge aegeria
 
The Speckled Wood is regarded as a common woodland butterfly in Britain, which breeds in damp areas where dappled sunlight filters through the trees. It can commonly be seen basking on low foliage, or on forest paths in deciduous woodland, but is quite tolerant of shade and can also be found in conifer plantations, where it breeds along grassy rides. In recent years it has increasingly expanded into more open habitats, and can regularly be seen in gardens, along hedgerows, and even in bushy areas of open grassland.
Gatekeeper
Pyronia tithonus
 
The Gatekeeper, also known as the Hedge Brown, is a very common and widespread butterfly, distributed throughout much of Europe, but absent from northern Britain, Scandinavia, and southern Italy. In southern Britain it can be exceedingly common on scrubby grassland, along hedgerows, in woodland clearings and glades, heathland, old quarries, and along country lanes. The adults emerge in late June and July, and lay their eggs singly on grasses growing in sunny positions around the base of hawthorn, bramble and blackthorn bushes.
Small Heath
Coenonympha pamphilus
 
Despite it's common name, this is not primarily a heathland species, although populations do occur on the heaths of the New Forest and elsewhere. In Britain the butterfly is most abundant at warm sunny south-facing sites, well drained and lightly grazed to produce a fairly sparse sward of fine grasses. These include calcareous grasslands, old quarries, railway embankments, dry meadows, dunes, heaths and moors. There are strong colonies on most of the Scottish islands, except for the Shetlands and Orkney.
Dark Green Fritillary
Argynnis aglaia
 
In southern England this is regarded as a butterfly of rough and wild open grasslands and cliff-tops, but it also occurs in low numbers on heathlands, dunes and in forest clearings. In the north it is found on moorland, and also occurs in company with the High Brown Fritillary in forests and open scrubby grassland on limestone pavements. The European populations are far less restricted by habitat, being found in lowland meadows, limestone gorges, sub-alpine hay meadows and many other habitats.
 
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Almost every British and European species of butterfly is declining rapidly in numbers, due in most cases to loss or degradation of habitats.
 
You can help to reverse the decline by supporting conservation organisations which purchase and manage habitats as nature reserves, and which lobby government at local, national and international levels, often very successfully, to bring about changes in farming, forestry and urban development policies.
 
Please contact the conservation organisations for advice on how you can help protect British and European butterflies and their habitats. You may be able to offer practical help e.g. by monitoring butterfly populations or helping to manage nature reserves. Donations to these organisations enable them to employ ecologists and biologists. Even if you are unable to provide such help, merely having your name on the membership list can be a powerful tool for conservation organisations wishing to demonstrate the levels of support they have for their policies.

 
 
Related subjects :
 
History of the common names of British butterflies.
Habitats in Britain - conservation and management of butterfly habitats.
Species Index - quickly locate articles and photos of British butterflies.
Conservation organisations in Britain.
 
Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007-2008, and must not be reproduced or published in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.
 
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