Skippers:  Family Hesperiidae
 
Small skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
  • Resident, rough grassland, common
  • Adults: June-August
  • Larval foodplants: grasses, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus
  • Range: England and Wales north to Scottish border
  • Status since 1970's : slight increase
Large skipper  Ochlodes sylvanus
  • Resident, tall grassland
  • Adults: May-August
  • Larval foodplants: grasses especially cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata
  • Range: Southern Britain, extending northwards
  • Status since 1970's : 12% decrease
Blues and coppers: Family Lycaenidae
 
Common blue Polyommatus icarus
  • Resident
  • Adults: 2 broods, May and October
  • Larval foodplants: birds-foot treioil   Lotus corniculatus
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970's : 17% decrease
Holly blue Celastrina argiolus
  • Resident, common in gardens
  • Adults: 2 broods, late March/April August/September
  • Larval foodplants: 1st brood holly      Ilex aquifolium 2nd brood ivy              Hedera helix
  • Range: Southern Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970's : 37% increase
Small copper Lycaena phlaeas
  • Resident, rare now in gardens
  • Adults: up to 4 broods April to November
  • Larval foodplants: sorrels Rumex acetosa and R. acetosella
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970's : 37% decline
Brown argus Aricia agestis
  • Resident, rare in gardens
  • Adults: 2-3 broods May to Sept.
  • Larval foodplants: common rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium
  • Range: southern-eastern Britain,  coastal Wales
  • Status since 2005 : 2% increase,   range increasing
Whites: Family Pieridae
 
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni
  • Resident, common in gardens
  • Adults: overwintering individuals in April, offspring in August
  • Larval foodplants: buckthorns Frangulus aldus & Rhamnus catharcticus
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970's : 14% increase, range increasing
Large (cabbage) white Pieris brassicae
  • Resident, augmented by summer migrants. Abundant
  • Adults: usually 2 broods, April/May, July/August
  • Larval foodplants: brassicas, nasturtium Tropaeolum majus
  • Range:All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970's : 30% decrease but still abundant
Small (cabbage) white Pieris rapae
  • Resident, augmented by summer migrants. Abundant
  • Adults: usually 2 broods, April/June, July/August
  • Larval foodplants: crucifers, nasturtium Tropaeolum majus
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970's : 25% decrease but still common
Green-veined white Pieris napi
  • Resident, common in gardens
  • Adults: usually 2 broods, April/June, July/August
  • Larval foodplants: charlock Sinapis arvensis, cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 2005: 72% increase
Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines 
  • Resident, quite common in gardens
  • Adults: 1 broods, April/June
  • Larval foodplants: cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland except northern Scotland
  • Status since 2005: 59% increase
Vanessids Sub family Nymphalinae
  • Red admiral, Vanessa atalanta Common
  • Adults: Migrants from May, offspring July to October
  • Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 2005: 257% increase
Painted lady Vanessa cardui
  • Summer migrant, often common
  • Adults: Migrants from April, offspring July to October
  • Larval foodplants: thistles. common nettle Urtica dioica
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 2005: 113% increase
Peacock, Inachis io
  • Resident, common in gardens
  • Adults: overwintering from January, offspring from June to December
  • Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland except northern Scotland
  • Status since 2005: 17% increase
Small tortoiseshell  Aglais urticae
  • Resident, common in gardens
  • Adults: overwintering from January, offspring from July to December
  • Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 2005: 73% decrease
Comma Polygonia c-album
  • Resident, common in gardens
  • Adults: overwintering from January, offspring from June to December
  • Second brood eggs laid June to August, adults September to December
  • Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
  • Range: All England and Wales, now southern Scotland
  • Status since 1970s: 150% increase, range extending north
Browns Sub-family Satyrinae
Speckled wood Pararge aegeria
  • Resident, woodland habitat
  • Adults: 2 broods April/May, June to October
  • Larval foodplants: grasses, cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata and others
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland, absent southern and central Scotland
  • Status since 1970s: 84% increase
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
  • Resident, woodland edge habitat
  • Adults: 1 brood June to August
  • Larval foodplants: grasses, cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata and others
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland, absent north western Scotland
  • Status since 1970s: 381% increase, range extending
Wall Lasiommata megera
  • Resident, now mainly in coastal areas
  • Adults: 2 broods April/June August/September
  • Larval foodplants: grasses, bents Agrostis spp and others
  • Range: England and Wales, coastal Ireland
  • Status since 1970s: 87% decrease, range reducing.
  • BAP species
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
  • Resident, hedgerows, common in gardens
  • Adults: 1 brood June to September
  • Larval foodplants: grass, bents Agrostis spp, fescues Festuca spp
  • Range: Southern & central England and Wales, south coastal Ireland
  • Status since 1970s: 41% decrease
 
 
Meadow brown Maniola jurtina
  • Resident, grassy habitats, common in gardens
  • Adults: 1 brood June to September
  • Larval foodplants: grasses, bents Agrostis spp, cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970s: stable
 
Skippers:  Family Hesperiidae
 
Small skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
  • Resident, rough grassland, common
  • Adults: June-August
  • Larval foodplants: grasses, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus
  • Range: England and Wales north to Scottish border
  • Status since 1970's : slight increase
Large skipper  Ochlodes sylvanus
  • Resident, tall grassland
  • Adults: May-August
  • Larval foodplants: grasses especially cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata
  • Range: Southern Britain, extending northwards
  • Status since 1970's : 12% decrease
Blues and coppers: Family Lycaenidae
 
Common blue Polyommatus icarus
  • Resident
  • Adults: 2 broods, May and October
  • Larval foodplants: birds-foot treioil   Lotus corniculatus
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970's : 17% decrease
Holly blue Celastrina argiolus
  • Resident, common in gardens
  • Adults: 2 broods, late March/April August/September
  • Larval foodplants: 1st brood holly      Ilex aquifolium 2nd brood ivy              Hedera helix
  • Range: Southern Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970's : 37% increase
Small copper Lycaena phlaeas
  • Resident, rare now in gardens
  • Adults: up to 4 broods April to November
  • Larval foodplants: sorrels Rumex acetosa and R. acetosella
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970's : 37% decline
Brown argus Aricia agestis
  • Resident, rare in gardens
  • Adults: 2-3 broods May to Sept.
  • Larval foodplants: common rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium
  • Range: southern-eastern Britain,  coastal Wales
  • Status since 2005 : 2% increase,   range increasing
Whites: Family Pieridae
 
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni
  • Resident, common in gardens
  • Adults: overwintering individuals in April, offspring in August
  • Larval foodplants: buckthorns Frangulus aldus & Rhamnus catharcticus
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970's : 14% increase, range increasing
Large (cabbage) white Pieris brassicae
  • Resident, augmented by summer migrants. Abundant
  • Adults: usually 2 broods, April/May, July/August
  • Larval foodplants: brassicas, nasturtium Tropaeolum majus
  • Range:All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970's : 30% decrease but still abundant
Small (cabbage) white Pieris rapae
  • Resident, augmented by summer migrants. Abundant
  • Adults: usually 2 broods, April/June, July/August
  • Larval foodplants: crucifers, nasturtium Tropaeolum majus
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970's : 25% decrease but still common
Green-veined white Pieris napi
  • Resident, common in gardens
  • Adults: usually 2 broods, April/June, July/August
  • Larval foodplants: charlock Sinapis arvensis, cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 2005: 72% increase
Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines 
  • Resident, quite common in gardens
  • Adults: 1 broods, April/June
  • Larval foodplants: cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland except northern Scotland
  • Status since 2005: 59% increase
Vanessids Sub family Nymphalinae
  • Red admiral, Vanessa atalanta Common
  • Adults: Migrants from May, offspring July to October
  • Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 2005: 257% increase
Painted lady Vanessa cardui
  • Summer migrant, often common
  • Adults: Migrants from April, offspring July to October
  • Larval foodplants: thistles. common nettle Urtica dioica
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 2005: 113% increase
Peacock, Inachis io
  • Resident, common in gardens
  • Adults: overwintering from January, offspring from June to December
  • Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland except northern Scotland
  • Status since 2005: 17% increase
Small tortoiseshell  Aglais urticae
  • Resident, common in gardens
  • Adults: overwintering from January, offspring from July to December
  • Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 2005: 73% decrease
Comma Polygonia c-album
  • Resident, common in gardens
  • Adults: overwintering from January, offspring from June to December
  • Second brood eggs laid June to August, adults September to December
  • Larval foodplants: common nettle Urtica dioica
  • Range: All England and Wales, now southern Scotland
  • Status since 1970s: 150% increase, range extending north
Browns Sub-family Satyrinae
Speckled wood Pararge aegeria
  • Resident, woodland habitat
  • Adults: 2 broods April/May, June to October
  • Larval foodplants: grasses, cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata and others
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland, absent southern and central Scotland
  • Status since 1970s: 84% increase
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
  • Resident, woodland edge habitat
  • Adults: 1 brood June to August
  • Larval foodplants: grasses, cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata and others
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland, absent north western Scotland
  • Status since 1970s: 381% increase, range extending
Wall Lasiommata megera
  • Resident, now mainly in coastal areas
  • Adults: 2 broods April/June August/September
  • Larval foodplants: grasses, bents Agrostis spp and others
  • Range: England and Wales, coastal Ireland
  • Status since 1970s: 87% decrease, range reducing.
  • BAP species
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
  • Resident, hedgerows, common in gardens
  • Adults: 1 brood June to September
  • Larval foodplants: grass, bents Agrostis spp, fescues Festuca spp
  • Range: Southern & central England and Wales, south coastal Ireland
  • Status since 1970s: 41% decrease
 
 
Meadow brown Maniola jurtina
  • Resident, grassy habitats, common in gardens
  • Adults: 1 brood June to September
  • Larval foodplants: grasses, bents Agrostis spp, cocks-foot Dactylis glomerata
  • Range: All Britain and Ireland
  • Status since 1970s: stable
 
 
 
Biology
Butterflies are day-flying insects that are active from spring to autumn.  They visit flowers in order to feed on nectar.  Many garden flowers are attractive to them, particularly those growing in warm sheltered places.  The larval stages feed mainly on the foliage of various plants.  The large and small cabbage whites eat the foliage of cultivated plants, such as cabbage, other brassicas and nasturtiums.  Other British butterflies have caterpillars that feed on forest trees or wild flowers, including nettles and grasses. 
 
Species that come to Britain as migrants include red admiral Vanessa atalanta, painted lady Vanessa cardui and less commonly in gardens, the clouded yellow, Colias croceus. The numbers that cross the Channel or North Sea can vary considerably from year to year.  Those that arrive early enough are able to breed in Britain but they do not usually survive the winter. Climate change may change this, as in the case of the red admiral,
 
Life cycle
After mating, female butterflies deposit eggs on plants suitable for their larvae.  Some butterflies lay eggs singly over many plants, while others lays eggs in clusters on a few plants.  The caterpillars feed on the foliage or flower buds of their food plants.  When fully fed, the caterpillars often wander away from their food plants before selecting somewhere to pupate.  Most butterfly caterpillars pupate above ground level.  They do not enclose themselves in a silk cocoon but silk threads are used to attach the pupa or chrysalis to a plant stem or fence.
 
Most butterflies overwinter as pupae but some species overwinter as eggs or larvae.  The comma, brimstone, peacock and small tortoiseshell butterflies overwinter in sheltered places as adults.  The last two mentioned sometimes hibernate in garden sheds and garages.  Most species have one generation a year but some have two or sometimes three.
  
 
 
 
 
                      
 
 
 
What do they look like?
Green-veined whites are about the same wingspan as the small white at 40-52mm.  Generally, they have white upperwings with a dusting of grey along the veins and around the tips of the forewings. One or more spots may be present – particularly on the females. The females also tend to have a greater amount of dusting. As with the other white butterflies, markings are usually darker in the second brood. However, green-veined whites are very variable in appearance and pale coloured males can be difficult to identify. 
 
The undersides of the wings are the best guide to identification: these have a cream or yellow background with prominent grey-green veins - actually a mix of black and cream scales giving the impression of green.
 
Where are they found?
This is the most widespread butterfly in the British Isles, present through most of the UK and Ireland, except for the Shetland Isles and some of the Scottish Highlands. 
 
What is their preferred habitat outside gardens?
These are widespread butterflies and can be found in parks, meadows, woodland rides and hedgerows. They prefer damp habitats but can also be found on drier grasslands.
 
Resident or migrant?
Resident, probably occasionally migrating here in the summer
 
When to see them?
There are two broods each year with a third one in favourable summers. The first butterflies usually emerge at the end of April, peaking in May with the second brood emerging in July and lasting into early September.
 
 
 
Green-veined white  Pieris napi  
Family: Pieridae
 
Male
Female
Underside
What does the caterpillar look like?
The caterpillars are very small (about 1mm) when they first emerge and pale-green with a relatively large head. They are similar in appearance – although bigger - through the first few instars. They look similar to those of the small white. By the 5th and final instar they measure about 25mm and are bright green with tiny black points all over the body from which white hairs grow, and with a line of black and yellow “bulls-eye” breathing holes (spiracles) along each side. See the UK Butterflies site for excellent photos of the instars.
 
What do the caterpillars eat?
Unlike the “cabbage whites” the green-veined caterpillars do not usually eat cultivated brassicas but rely on a wide variety of wild plants mostly in the Brassicaceae family such as watercress Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis, garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata, charlock Sinapsis arvensis and hedge mustard Sisymbrium officinale.1.
 
What happens in winter?
Green-veined whites overwinter as pupae from the second brood, usually low down in vegetation.
 
Flowers they take nectar from
Adults feed primarily on betony, bluebells, bugle, buttercups, common fleabane, cuckooflower, greater stitchwort, hemp-agrimony, knapweeds, ragged-Robin, ragworts, red campion, thistles, vetches and wild marjoram. 2.
 
 
How are they doing?
The green-veined white appears to be declining slightly in both numbers and distribution – although still very widespread. The 2022 State of UK butterflies report  shows a decrease in numbers of 14% since 1976 compared with a decrease of 7% in the 2015 version. The distribution has decreased by a statistically significant 11% over the same period whereas in 2015 it was reported as increasing slightly. However the report does not distinguish between sub-species (see below).
 
Other interesting facts 
There are three sub-species of green-veined white in the UK. Pieris napi sabellicae is the sub-species in England and Wales; Pieris napi britannica in Ireland, and Scotland is lucky enough to have both these plus Pieris napi thomsoni. The latter two sub-species are generally thought to have brighter yellow underwings. The subspecies are pretty similar in appearance but britannica and thomsoni generally have brighter yellow underwings.2.
 
 
 
References
 
1.  Biological Records Centre database 
 
2.  UK Butterflies website
 
3.  State of UK Butterflies 2022 report
 
Page written by Judy Skinner, reviewed and compiled by Steve Head
What do they look like?
Green-veined whites are about the same wingspan as the small white at 40-52mm.  Generally, they have white upperwings with a dusting of grey along the veins and around the tips of the forewings. One or more spots may be present – particularly on the females. The females also tend to have a greater amount of dusting. As with the other white butterflies, markings are usually darker in the second brood. However, green-veined whites are very variable in appearance and pale coloured males can be difficult to identify. 
 
The undersides of the wings are the best guide to identification: these have a cream or yellow background with prominent grey-green veins - actually a mix of black and cream scales giving the impression of green.
 
Where are they found?
This is the most widespread butterfly in the British Isles, present through most of the UK and Ireland, except for the Shetland Isles and some of the Scottish Highlands. 
 
What is their preferred habitat outside gardens?
These are widespread butterflies and can be found in parks, meadows, woodland rides and hedgerows. They prefer damp habitats but can also be found on drier grasslands.
 
Resident or migrant?
Resident, probably occasionally migrating here in the summer
 
When to see them?
There are two broods each year with a third one in favourable summers. The first butterflies usually emerge at the end of April, peaking in May with the second brood emerging in July and lasting into early September.
 
 
 
Green-veined white  Pieris napi  
Family: Pieridae
 
Male
Female
Underside
What does the caterpillar look like?
The caterpillars are very small (about 1mm) when they first emerge and pale-green with a relatively large head. They are similar in appearance – although bigger - through the first few instars. They look similar to those of the small white. By the 5th and final instar they measure about 25mm and are bright green with tiny black points all over the body from which white hairs grow, and with a line of black and yellow “bulls-eye” breathing holes (spiracles) along each side. See the UK Butterflies site for excellent photos of the instars.
 
What do the caterpillars eat?
Unlike the “cabbage whites” the green-veined caterpillars do not usually eat cultivated brassicas but rely on a wide variety of wild plants mostly in the Brassicaceae family such as watercress Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis, garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata, charlock Sinapsis arvensis and hedge mustard Sisymbrium officinale.1.
 
 
What happens in winter?
Green-veined whites overwinter as pupae from the second brood, usually low down in vegetation.
 
Flowers they take nectar from
Adults feed primarily on betony, bluebells, bugle, buttercups, common fleabane, cuckooflower, greater stitchwort, hemp-agrimony, knapweeds, ragged-Robin, ragworts, red campion, thistles, vetches and wild marjoram. 2.
 
 
How are they doing?
The green-veined white appears to be declining slightly in both numbers and distribution – although still very widespread. The 2022 State of UK butterflies report  shows a decrease in numbers of 14% since 1976 compared with a decrease of 7% in the 2015 version. The distribution has decreased by a statistically significant 11% over the same period whereas in 2015 it was reported as increasing slightly. However the report does not distinguish between sub-species (see below).
 
Other interesting facts 
There are three sub-species of green-veined white in the UK. Pieris napi sabellicae is the sub-species in England and Wales; Pieris napi britannica in Ireland, and Scotland is lucky enough to have both these plus Pieris napi thomsoni. The latter two sub-species are generally thought to have brighter yellow underwings. The subspecies are pretty similar in appearance but britannica and thomsoni generally have brighter yellow underwings.2.
 
 
 
References
 
1.  Biological Records Centre database 
 
2.  UK Butterflies website
 
3.  State of UK Butterflies 2022 report
 
 
Page written by Judy Skinner, reviewed and compiled by Steve Head
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