List of butterflies of Great Britain

This is a list of butterflies of Great Britain, past and present (and dubious).

"Note that details on specific species are relevant to the GB populations and some details may not be consistent with the species in other parts of its range."

Species listed in the 2007 UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) are indicated by a double-dagger symbol (‡)—two species so listed for research purposes only are also indicated with an asterisk (‡*).

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 sylvanus [venata; venatus] "Subfamily Pyrginae
*Dingy Skipper – "Erynnis tages" ‡
*Grizzled Skipper – "Pyrgus malvae" ‡

Papilionidae – Swallowtails

Subfamily Papilioninae
*Swallowtail – "Papilio machaon"

Pieridae – Whites & Yellows

Subfamily Dismorphiinae
*Wood White – "Leptidea sinapis" ‡

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"

Lycaenidae – Hairstreaks, Coppers & Blues

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 – "Plebeius [Aricia] agestis"
*Northern Brown Argus – "Plebeius [Aricia] artaxerxes" ‡
*Common Blue – "Polyommatus icarus"
*Chalkhill Blue – "Polyommatus [Lysandra] coridon"
*Adonis Blue – "Polyommatus [Lysandra] bellargus"
*Holly Blue – "Celastrina argiolus"
*Large Blue – "Glaucopsyche [Maculinea] arion" ‡

Riodinidae – Metalmarks

*Duke of Burgundy – "Hamearis lucina" ‡

Nymphalidae – Fritillaries, Nymphalids & Browns

Subfamily Heliconiinae
*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"

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"
*Marsh Fritillary – "Euphydryas [Eurodryas] aurinia" ‡
*Glanville Fritillary – "Melitaea cinxia" ‡
*Heath Fritillary – "Melitaea [Mellicta] athalia" ‡

Subfamily Satyrinae
*Speckled Wood – "Pararge aegeria"
*Wall – "Lasiommata megera" ‡*
*Small 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" ‡

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" (British subspecies extinct; continental subspecies introduced now also extinct)
*Large Tortoiseshell – "Nymphalis polychloros" (now vagrant only, although sightings in southern England in 2007 suggest recolonisation may be occurring)

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"
*Apollo – "Parnassius apollo"
*American Painted Lady – "Vanessa virginiensis"

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"
*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"
*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"

References

*Butterfly Conservation, 2007. "Priority butterfly species listed in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan 2007". Butterfly Conservation, Wareham, UK. 1p.
*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.

ee also

*Butterfly Conservation – Britain's butterfly and moth conservation society
*List of butterflies of Ireland