List of British butterflies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of British butterflies, past and present. (Please note that details on specific species are relevant to the UK populations and some details may not be consistent with the species in other parts of its range)

1 Hesperiidae – Skippers
2 Papilionidae – Swallowtails
3 Pieridae – Whites
4 Lycaenidae - Blues, Coppers & Hairstreaks
5 Riodinidae - Metalmarks
6 Nymphalidae - Fritillaries & others
7 Vagrant, Extinct and Exotic Species
8 References
9 See also

[edit] Hesperiidae – Skippers

Subfamily Heteropterinae

Chequered Skipper - Carterocephalus palaemon

Subfamily Hesperiinae

Small Skipper - Thymelicus sylvestris
Essex Skipper - Thymelicus lineola
Lulworth Skipper - Thymelicus acteon
Silver-spotted Skipper - Hesperia comma
Large Skipper - Ochlodes venata (venatus)

Subfamily Pyrginae

Dingy Skipper - Erynnis tages
Grizzled Skipper - Pyrgus malvae

[edit] Papilionidae – Swallowtails

Subfamily Papilioninae

Swallowtail - Papilio machaon

[edit] Pieridae – Whites

Subfamily Dismorphiinae

Wood White - Leptidea sinapis
Real's Wood White - Leptidea reali

Subfamily Coliadinae

Clouded Yellow - Colias croceus
Brimstone - Gonepteryx rhamni

Subfamily Pierinae

Large White - Pieris brassicae
Small White - Pieris (Artogeia) rapae
Green-veined White - Pieris (Artogeia) napi
Orange Tip - Anthocharis cardamines

[edit] Lycaenidae - Blues, Coppers & Hairstreaks

Subfamily Theclinae

Green Hairstreak - Callophrys rubi
Brown Hairstreak - Thecla betulae
Purple Hairstreak - Neozephyrus (Quercusia) quercus
White-letter Hairstreak - Satyrium (Strymonidia) w-album
Black Hairstreak - Satyrium (Strymonidia) pruni

Subfamily Lycaena

Small Copper - Lycaena phlaeas

Subfamily Polyommatinae

Small Blue - Cupido minimus
Silver-studded Blue - Plebeius (Plebejus) argus
Brown Argus - Aricia agestis
Northern Brown Argus - Aricia artaxerxes
Common Blue - Polyommatus icarus
Chalkhill Blue - Polyommatus (Lysandra) coridon
Adonis Blue - Polyommatus (Lysandra) bellargus
Holly Blue - Celastrina argiolus
Large Blue - Maculinea arion

[edit] Riodinidae - Metalmarks

Duke of Burgundy - Hamearis lucina

[edit] Nymphalidae - Fritillaries & others

Subfamily Limenitidinae

White Admiral - Limenitis camilla

Subfamily Apaturinae

Purple Emperor - Apatura iris

Subfamily Nymphalinae

Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta
Painted Lady - Vanessa (Cynthia) cardui
Small Tortoiseshell - Aglais urticae
Peacock - Inachis io
Comma - Polygonia c-album

Subfamily Argynninae

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary - Boloria (Clossiana) selene
Pearl-bordered Fritillary - Boloria (Clossiana) euphrosyne
High Brown Fritillary - Argynnis (Fabriciana) adippe
Dark Green Fritillary - Argynnis (Mesoacidalia) aglaja
Silver-washed Fritillary - Argynnis paphia
Marsh Fritillary - Euphydryas (Eurodryas) aurinia
Glanville Fritillary - Melitaea cinxia
Heath Fritillary - Melitaea (Mellicta) athalia

Subfamily Satyrinae

Speckled Wood - Pararge aegeria
Wall - Lasiommata megera
Mountain Ringlet - Erebia epiphron
Scotch Argus - Erebia aethiops
Marbled White - Melanargia galathea
Grayling - Hipparchia semele
Gatekeeper - Pyronia tithonus
Meadow Brown - Maniola jurtina
Ringlet - Aphantopus hyperantus
Small Heath - Coenonympha pamphilus
Large Heath - Coenonympha tullia

[edit] Vagrant, Extinct and Exotic Species

Extinct

Large Chequered Skipper – Heteropterus morpheus (formerly introduced into Channel Islands)
Black-veined White – Aporia crataegi
Mazarine Blue – Polyommatus (Cyaniris) semiargus (now vagrant only)
Large Copper - Lycaena dispar (re-establishment projects on-going)
Large Tortoiseshell – Nymphalis polychloros (now vagrant only)

Vagrants

Pale Clouded Yellow – Colias hyale
Berger's Clouded Yellow – Colias alfacariensis
Bath White – Pontia daplidice
Dappled White - Euchloe simplona
Long-tailed Blue – Lampides boeticus
Lang's Short-tailed Blue - Leptotes pirithous
Short-tailed Blue – Cupido (Everes) argiades
Geranium Bronze – Cacyreus marshalli (imported on geraniums)
Camberwell Beauty – Nymphalis antiopa
Map – Araschnia levana (formerly introduced and bred)
Queen of Spain Fritillary – Issoria lathonia
Monarch – Danaus plexippus

Exotics

Species included in the British lepidoptera numbering system, but believed never to have occurred naturally in a wild state

Fiery Skipper - Hylephila phyleus
Mallow Skipper - Carcharodus alceae
Oberthür's Grizzled Skipper - Pyrgus armoricanus
Apollo - Parnassius apollo
Small Apollo - Parnassius phoebus
Spanish Festoon - Zerynthia rumina
Southern Festoon - Zerynthia polyxena
Tiger Swallowtail - Papilio glaucus
Scarce Swallowtail - Iphiclides podalirius
Moorland Clouded Yellow - Colias palaeno
Cleopatra - Gonepteryx cleopatra
Slate Flash - Rapala schistacea
Scarce Copper - Lycaena virgaureae
Sooty Copper - Lycaena tityrus
Purple-shot Copper - Lycaena alciphron
Purple-edged Copper - Lycaena hippothoe
Turquoise Blue - Plebicula dorylas
Green-underside Blue - Glaucopsyche alexis
Julia - Dryas julia
Albin's Hampstead Eye - Junonia villida
Blue Pansy - Junonia oenone
Zebra - Colobura dirce
Small Blown Showmaker - Hypanartia lethe
Indian Red Admiral - Vanessa indica
American Painted Lady - Cynthia (Vanessa) virginiensis
Scarce Tortoiseshell - Nymphalis xanthomelas
Weaver's Fritillary - Boloria dia
Aphrodite Fritillary - Argynnis aphrodite
Niobe Fritillary - Argynnis niobe
Cardinal or Mediterranean Fritillary - Argynnis pandora
Spotted Fritillary - Melitaea didyma
Large Wall - Lasiommata maera
Arran Brown - Erebia ligea
Almond-eyed Ringlet - Erebia alberganus
Woodland Grayling - Hipparchia fagi
Hermit - Chazara briseis
False Grayling - Arethusana arethusa

[edit] References

Emmet, A.M., J. Heath et al. (Ed.), 1990. The Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Vol. 7 Part 1 (Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae). Harley Books, Colechester, UK. 370p.
Tomlinson, D. and R. Still, 2002. Britain's Butterflies. WildGuides, Old Basing, UK. 192p.