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.
  
 
 
 
 
                      
 
 
 
 
 
Where are they found (in Britain and Ireland)
All Britain and Ireland except the far north of Scotland.
 
What is their preferred habitat outside gardens?
Orange-tips prefer damper habitats where their food-plants grow such as hedgerows, the banks of rivers and streams, woodland glades, damp meadows. They can also be found in lanes and roadside verges.
 
Resident or migrant?
Resident.
 
When to see them?
There is a single brood each year and the butterflies can be seen from April until the end of June. In exceptional years a small second brood appears towards the end of August and lasts two or three weeks. Males can fly for long periods without stopping or resting and often patrol in search of females.
 
What happens in winter?
Orange-tips overwinter as pupae in protective vegetation. It is thought that they don’t pupate on their food plant as the stems wither in the winter.
 
 
Orange-tip  Anthocharis cardamines  
Family: Pieridae
 
What do the early stages look like?
 
The eggs are greenish at first but turn orange.  They are laid on flower stalks.  The caterpillars are an olive-yellow when they first emerge with a relatively large and darker-coloured head. They grow rapidly through the five instars (from 1.5mm to 30mm) with the total larval stage only lasting about 3-4 weeks. In the middle stages they develop a grey-green colouration but by the final instar they are bright green with tiny black points all over the body from which hairs grow. Orange-tip caterpillars are cannibalistic in their early stages and there is usually only one caterpillar left per food-plant.  The pupa is an unusual elongated shape, attached by a silk pad and silk girdle.  Initially they are green, but become a more camouflaged light brown with time.
 
What do the caterpillars eat?
As with the other whites, the orange-tip caterpillars eat plants in the Brassicaceae family especially cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis in damp meadows and garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata along road verges and ditches. They also use hedge mustard Sisymbrium officinale, winter-cress Barbarea vulgaris, charlock Sinapis avensis, pennycress Thlaspi arvense, tower mustard Turritis glabra and hairy rock-cress Arabis hirsuta among others.1.   In gardens they will eat dame's violet Hesperis matronalis, and both annual and perennial honesty Lunaria annua and L.rediviva.
 
Flowers they take nectar from
Adults feed primarily on bluebell, brambles, bugle, cuckooflower, dandelions, garlic mustard, greater stitchwort, ground-ivy, hawkweeds, ragged-Robin, red campion and vetches.2.
 
How are they doing?
Orange-tips are not a species of concern. The 2022 State of UK butterflies report  shows a statistically significant 26% increase in numbers since 1976 compared with an increase of 10% in the 2015 version. They spread considerably in Scotland over the past 30 years but the distribution appears steady at present.3.
 
Other interesting facts
The beautiful green pattern on the underside of the hindwing is an optical illusion as it is formed from a combination of yellow and black scales in a similar way to the green-veined white.  
 
A subspecies britannica has been described for some British specimens based on wing shape, but with only 0.3% of records attributed to this form 4. ,which shares the same distribution as the typical subspecies, it seems doubtful that a subspecies distinction is valid.
 
References
 
1.  Biological Records centre database  
 
2.  UK Butterflies website 
 
3.  2022 State of UK butterflies report 
 
4.  NBN atlas website
 
 
Page written by Judy Skinner, reviewed and compiled by Steve Head
 
 
 
What do they look like?
The name gives it away – these are the only UK butterflies with bright orange tips to their white forewings and are instantly recognisable. But only the males have the orange markings: females have white wings with dark tips and a dark spot on each forewing.
 
 
Both sexes have distinctive green and white mottled undersides to their hindwings and these are the easiest way to identify the female.
Male
Underside (female)
Female
Egg
Pupa
Final instar Caterpillar
Orange-tip  Anthocharis cardamines  
Family: Pieridae
 
Male
Female
Underside (female)
What do they look like?
The name gives it away – these are the only UK butterflies with bright orange tips to their white forewings and are instantly recognisable. But only the males have the orange markings: females have white wings with dark tips and a dark spot on each forewing.
 
Both sexes have distinctive green and white mottled undersides to their hindwings and these are the easiest way to identify the female.
 
 
Where are they found (in Britain and Ireland)
All Britain and Ireland except the far north of Scotland.
 
What is their preferred habitat outside gardens?
Orange-tips prefer damper habitats where their food-plants grow such as hedgerows, the banks of rivers and streams, woodland glades, damp meadows. They can also be found in lanes and roadside verges.
 
Resident or migrant?
Resident.
 
When to see them?
There is a single brood each year and the butterflies can be seen from April until the end of June. In exceptional years a small second brood appears towards the end of August and lasts two or three weeks. Males can fly for long periods without stopping or resting and often patrol in search of females.
 
What happens in winter?
Orange-tips overwinter as pupae  in protective vegetation. It is thought that they don’t pupate on their food plant as the stems wither in the winter.
 
 
Egg
Final instar Caterpillar
What do the early stages look like?
 
The eggs are greenish at first but turn orange.  They are laid on flower stalks.  The caterpillars are an olive-yellow when they first emerge with a relatively large and darker-coloured head. They grow rapidly through the five instars (from 1.5mm to 30mm) with the total larval stage only lasting about 3-4 weeks. In the middle stages they develop a grey-green colouration but by the final instar they are bright green with tiny black points all over the body from which hairs grow. Orange-tip caterpillars are cannibalistic in their early stages and there is usually only one caterpillar left per food-plant.  The pupa is an unusual elongated shape, attached by a silk pad and silk girdle.  Initially they are green, but become a more camouflaged light brown with time.
 
What do the caterpillars eat?
As with the other whites, the orange-tip caterpillars eat plants in the Brassicaceae family especially cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis in damp meadows and garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata along road verges and ditches. They also use hedge mustard Sisymbrium officinale, winter-cress Barbarea vulgaris, charlock Sinapis avensis, pennycress Thlaspi arvense, tower mustard Turritis glabra and hairy rock-cress Arabis hirsuta among others.1.   In gardens they will eat dame's violet Hesperis matronalis, and both annual and perennial honesty Lunaria annua and L.rediviva.
 
Flowers they take nectar from
Adults feed primarily on bluebell, brambles, bugle, cuckooflower, dandelions, garlic mustard, greater stitchwort, ground-ivy, hawkweeds, ragged-Robin, red campion and vetches.2.
 
How are they doing?
Orange-tips are not a species of concern. The 2022 State of UK butterflies report  shows a statistically significant 26% increase in numbers since 1976 compared with an increase of 10% in the 2015 version. They spread considerably in Scotland over the past 30 years but the distribution appears steady at present.3.
 
Other interesting facts
The beautiful green pattern on the underside of the hindwing is an optical illusion as it is formed from a combination of yellow and black scales in a similar way to the green-veined white.  
 
A subspecies britannica has been described for some British specimens based on wing shape, but with only 0.3% of records attributed to this form 4. ,which shares the same distribution as the typical subspecies, it seems doubtful that a subspecies distinction is valid.
 
References
 
1.  Biological Records centre database  
 
2.  UK Butterflies website 
 
3.  2022 State of UK butterflies report 
 
4.  NBN atlas website
 
 
Page written by Judy Skinner, reviewed and compiled by Steve Head
 
 
 
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