Lepidoptera - UK and European Butterflies and Moths

	Sort by Common Names	Sort by Scientific Names	Sort by Families
	Scarce Swallowtail	Iphiclides podalirius	Papilionidae
	Common Swallowtail	Papilio machaon	Papilionidae
	Mountain Apollo	Parnassius apollo	Papilionidae
	Spanish Festoon	Zerynthia rumina	Papilionidae
	Map	Araschnia levana	Nymphalidae
	Red Admiral	Vanessa atalanta	Nymphalidae
	Marsh Fritillary	Euphydryas aurinia	Nymphalidae
	Comma	Polygonia c-album	Nymphalidae
	Silver Washed Fritillary	Argynnis paphia	Nymphalidae
	Heath Fritillary	Melitaea athalia	Nymphalidae
	Nickerl's Fritillary	Melitaea aurelia	Nymphalidae
	Glanville Fritillary	Melitaea cinxia	Nymphalidae
	Provençal Fritillary	Melitaea deione	Nymphalidae
	False Heath Fritillary	Melitaea diamina	Nymphalidae
	Spotted Fritillary	Melitaea didyma	Nymphalidae
	Knapweed Fritillary	Melitaea phoebe	Nymphalidae
	Dark Green Fritillary	Argynnis aglaja	Nymphalidae
	High Brown Fritillary	Fabriciana adippe	Nymphalidae
	Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary	Boloria selene	Nymphalidae
	Pearl-bordered Fritillary	Boloria euphrosyne	Nymphalidae
	Marbled Fritillary	Brenthis daphne	Nymphalidae
	Twin-spot Fritillary	Brenthis hecate	Nymphalidae
	Queen of Spain Fritillary	Issoria lathonia	Nymphalidae
	Painted Lady	Vanessa cardui	Nymphalidae
	Small Tortoiseshell	Aglais urticae	Nymphalidae
	Large Tortoiseshell	Nymphalis polychloros	Nymphalidae
	Peacock Butterfly	Inachis io	Nymphalidae
	Camberwell Beauty	Nymphalis antiopa	Nymphalidae
	Lesser Purple Emperor	Apatura ilia	Nymphalidae
	Purple Emperor	Apatura iris	Nymphalidae
	Southern White Admiral	Limenitis reducta	Nymphalidae
	White Admiral	Limenitis camilla	Nymphalidae
	Two-tailed Pasha	Charaxes jasius	Nymphalidae
	Monarch	Danaus plexippus	Nymphalidae
	Gulf Fritillary	Agraulis vanillae	Nymphalidae
	Caribbean Buckeye	Junonia evarete	Nymphalidae
	Meadow Brown	Maniola jurtina	Satyridae
	Large Wall Brown	Lasiommata maera	Satyridae
	Wall Brown	Lasiommata megera	Satyridae
	Southern Gatekeeper	Pyronia cecilia	Satyridae
	Gatekeeper	Pyronia tithonus	Satyridae
	Pearly Heath	Coenonympha arcania	Satyridae
	Small Heath	Coenonympha pamphilus	Satyridae
	Large Heath	Coenonympha tullia	Satyridae
	Grayling	Hipparchia semele	Satyridae
	Marbled White	Melanargia galathaea	Satyridae
	Spanish Marbled White	Melanargia ines	Satyridae
	Ringlet	Aphantopus hyperantus	Satyridae
	Speckled Wood	Pararge aegeria	Satyridae
	Small White	Pieris rapae	Pieridae
	Green-veined White	Pieris napi	Pieridae
	Orange-tip	Anthocharis cardamines	Pieridae
	Provençal Orange-tip	Anthocharis euphenoides	Pieridae
	Black-veined White	Aporia crataegi	Pieridae
	Eastern Dappled White	Euchloe ausonia	Pieridae
	Green-striped White	Euchloe belemia	Pieridae
	Portuguese Dappled White	Euchloe tagis	Pieridae
	Large White	Pieris brassicae	Pieridae
	Cleopatra	Gonepteryx cleopatra	Pieridae
	Madeiran Cleopatra	Gonepteryx maderensis	Pieridae
	Brimstone	Gonepteryx rhamni	Pieridae
	Clouded Yellow	Colias croceus	Pieridae
	Wood White	Leptidea sinapis	Pieridae
	Cloudless Sulphur	Phoebis sennae	Pieridae
	Small Sulphur	Eurema lisa	Pieridae
	Large Copper	Lycaena dispar	Lycaenidae
	Small Copper	Lycaena phlaeas	Lycaenidae
	Sooty Copper	Lycaena tityrus	Lycaenidae
	Silver-studded Blue	Plebeius argus	Lycaenidae
	Adonis Blue	Polyommatus bellargus	Lycaenidae
	Chalkhill Blue	Polyommatus coridon	Lycaenidae
	Common Blue	Polyommatus icarus	Lycaenidae
	Holly Blue	Celastrina argiolus	Lycaenidae
	Large Blue	Maculinea arion	Lycaenidae
	Long-tailed Blue	Lampides boeticus	Lycaenidae
	Lang's Long-tailed Blue	Leptotes pirithous	Lycaenidae
	Black-eyed Blue	Glaucopsyche melanops	Lycaenidae
	Paphos Blue	Glaucopsyche paphos	Lycaenidae
	Brown Argus	Aricia agestis	Lycaenidae
	Spanish Brown Argus	Aricia cramera	Lycaenidae
	Lorquin's Blue	Cupido lorquinii	Lycaenidae
	Geranium Argus	Eumedonia eumedon	Lycaenidae
	False baton Blue	Pseudophilotes abencerragus	Lycaenidae
	Small Blue	Cupido minimus	Lycaenidae
	Chequered Blue	Scolitantides orion	Lycaenidae
	Blue-spot Hairstreak	Satyrium spini	Lycaenidae
	False Ilex Hairstreak	Satyrium esculi	Lycaenidae
	White Letter Hairstreak	Satyrium w-album	Lycaenidae
	Brown Hairstreak	Thecla betulae	Lycaenidae
	Green Hairstreak	Callophrys rubi	Lycaenidae
	Purple Hairstreak	Favonius quercus	Lycaenidae
	Provencal Hairstreak	Tomares ballus	Lycaenidae
	Chequered Skipper	Carterocephalus palaemon	Hesperidae
	False Mallow Skipper	Carcharodus tripolinus	Hesperidae
	Dingy Skipper	Erynnis tages	Hesperidae
	Silver-spotted Skipper	Hesperia comma	Hesperidae
	Large Chequered Skipper	Heteropterus morpheus	Hesperidae
	Large Skipper	Ochlodes sylvanus	Hesperidae
	Grizzled Skipper	Pyrgus malvae	Hesperidae
	Red Underwing Skipper	Spialia sertorius	Hesperidae
	Lulworth Skipper	Thymelicus acteon	Hesperidae
	Essex Skipper	Thymelicus lineola	Hesperidae
	Small Skipper	Thymelicus sylvestris	Hesperidae
	Duke of Burgundy	Hamearis lucina	Riodinidae

	Sort by Common Names	Sort by Scientific Names	Sort by Families
	Cistus Forester	Adscita geryon	Zygaenidae
	Forester	Adscita statices	Zygaenidae
	Birch Sober	Anacampsis blattariella	Gelechiidae
	Common Nettle- tap Moth	Anthophila fabriciana	Choreutidae
	Purple Argent	Argyresthia albistria	Argyresthiidae
	Honeysuckle Grey	Athrips mouffetella	Gelechiidae
	Scarlet Tiger	Callimorpha dominula	Arctiinae
	Oak Stilt	Caloptilia alchimiella	Gracillariidae
	Red Birch Slender	Caloptilia betulicola	Gracillariidae
	White-marked Stilt	Calybites phasianipennella	Gracillariidae
	Oak Longhorn	Carcina quercana	Depressariidae
	Gorse Case-bearer	Coleophora albicosta	Coleophoridae
	Pistol Case-bearer	Coleophora anatipennella	Coleophoridae
	Agrimony Case-bearer	Coleophora follicularis	Coleophoridae
	Thistle Case-bearer	Coleophora peribenanderi	Coleophoridae
	Goat Moth	Cossus cossus	Cossidae
	Elephant Hawk-moth	Deilephila elpenor	Sphingidae
	Late Reveller	Diurnea lipsiella	Chimabachinae
	Bugloss Ermine	Ethmia bipunctella	Depressariidae
	Map-winged Swift	Hepialus fusconebulosa	Hepialidae
	Common Swift	Hepialus lupulinus	Hepialidae
	Gold Swift	Hepialus hecta	Hepialidae
	Orange Swift	Hepialus sylvina	Hepialidae
	Ghost Moth (Male)	Hepialus humuli	Hepialidae
	Ghost Moth (Female)	Hepialus humuli	Hepialidae
	Triangle	Heterogenea asella	Limacodidae
	Black Rhomboid Grey	Hypatima rhomboidella	Gelechiidae
	Burdock Seedhead Moth	Metzneria lappella	Gelechiidae
	Monk Moth	Monopis monachella	Tineidae
	Longhorn Moth	Nemophora degeerella	Adelidae
	Reed Leopard Moth	Phragmataecia castaneae	Cossidae
	White Streak Moth	Pleurota bicostella	Oecophoridae
	Black-marked Diviner	Semioscopis steinkellneriana	Depressariidae
	Orange-tipped Nest Moth	Tinea semifulvella	Tineidae
	Tripple-spotted Nest Moth	Tinea trinotella	Tineidae
	Carpet Moth (Tapestry Moth)	Trichophaga tapetzella	Tineidae
	Cinnabar Moth	Tyria jacobaea	Erebidae
	Leopard Moth	Zeuzera pyrina	Cossidae
	Six-spot Burnet Moth	Zygaena filipendulae	Zygaenidae
	Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet	Zygaena lonicerae	Zygaenidae
	Transparent Burnet Moth	Zygaena purpuralis	Zygaenidae
	Five-spot Burnet Moth	Zygaena trifolii	Zygaenidae

Studying butterflies and moths...

Life Cycle

Despite some obvious differences between many of the insects that we call butterflies and those that we call moths, there is no real scientific basis for separating the two groups, and lepidopterists (those who study this insect group) treat them as a single order.

Some obvious features of many of the butterflies are their bright colours and their habit of flying by day and resting with their wings closed vertically above their bodies. Most moths are dully coloured, nocturnal insects and hold their wings flat or in a ridge shape over their bodies when at rest. But there are exceptions to these convenient 'rules': burnet moths, for example, are very brightly coloured and they fly mainly during the day.

In Britain there are about 2500 species of butterflies and moths, with moths greatly outnumbering butterflies. Looking beyond the UK, across the world some 150,000 species of butterflies and moths have been identified, and no doubt there are many more still to be discovered.

The eggs are laid on the leaves of plants suited to the needs of the particular species. Some prefer nettles or docks; others may need specific flowers or the leaves of a particular tree. The larvae hatch after a few weeks and begin feeding.

After a few months the larva, or caterpillar, is fully grown and ready to pupate. It then turns into a chrysalis. It is in this state that many species spend the winter, although some hibernate as larvae and others do so as winged adults. The cycle begins again the following year with a new generation of butterflies and moths laying their eggs.

We photograph buterflies in the wild, without catching them and, if possible, without disturbing them from their normal patterns of behaviour. If you feel gthe need to capture specimens for close study, a large net is the best way to catch day-flying butterflies. They can then be studied and photographed before releasing them. In the early evening, moths can be caught in the same way, but once it gets dark this is not very practical. A lamp, preferably an ultra-violet one built in to a trap, does the job with the minimum of effort. We pack ours with pieces of egg boxes among which the moths soon settle down. On releasing moths from a trap it is important to disperse them; otherwise, the birds will have a feast and your location might be seriously depleted of some moth species.

Butterfly Information Sources

The pictures and text on the First Nature butterfly and moth pages are the results of our own observations, notes and photography in Britain and Ireland, on mainland Europe, in North America and South America, and to a limited extent also Asia. We have also learned much from the published research and Web resources produced by many other organisations and individual enthusiasts who have studied butterflies and moths, and we wish to acknowledge our reliance on such expertise.

Additional Butterfly Information on the Web

More specialist information on British, Irish, European mainland and American butterflies can be found on these superb websites:

UK Butterflies, by Peter Eeles

British Butterflies, by Stephen Cheshire

Learn About Butterflies, by Adrian Hoskins

UK Leps, by Reg Fry

Butterfly Conservation -

Butterfly Ireland - Dublin Naturalists' Field Club

Butterflies of Ireland

European Butterflies, by Matt Rowlings

European Butterfly Page, by Guy Padfield

Butterflies of France, by Roger Gibbons

Butterflies in Italy, by Robin Fox

Butterflies of Bulgaria, by Zdravko Kolev

California Butterfly Monitoring, by Dr Arthur (Art) Shapiro

Butterflies and Moths of North America - Butterfly and Moth Information Network

Butterflies of America, by Jonathan P. Pelham / Butterflies of America Foundation

Books and other Printed Resources

Asher. J., Warren, M., Fox, R., Harding, P., Jeffcoat, G., Jeffcoat, S.
(2001) The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain & Ireland, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Carter, D.
(1982) Butterflies and Moths of Britain and Europe. Pan Books, London.

Easterbrook, M.
(1987) Butterflies of the British Isles: The Nymphalidae, Shire Natural History No 19, Aylesbury.

Easterbrook, M.
(1988) Butterflies of the British Isles: The Lycaenidae, Shire Natural History No 24, Aylesbury.

Easterbrook, M.
(1989) Butterflies of the British Isles: The Pieridae, Shire Natural History No 50, Aylesbury.

Fox, R., Asher. J., Brereton. T., Roy, D & Warren, M.
(2006) The State of Butterflies in Britain & Ireland, Pisces, Oxford.

Fox, R., Warren, M., Brereton, T. M., Roy, D. B. & Robinson, A.
(2010) A new Red List of British Butterflies. Insect Conservation and Diversity.

Fox, R., Warren, M & Brereton, T.
(2007) New Red List of British Butterflies. Butterfly Conservation, Wareham.

Harding, J. M.
(2008) Discovery Irish Butterflies & their Habitats.

Hofmann, H., Marktanner, T.
(2001) Butterflies and Moths of Britain & Europe. HarperCollins, London.

May, P. R.
(2003) Larval Foodplants of the Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. The Amateur Entomologists' Society, Kent.

Moucha, J.
(1985) A Colour Guide to Familiar Butterflies Caterpillars and Chrysalides.
Newland, D. E.
(2006) Butterflies in Britain. Wild Guides, Hampshire.

Newman, L.H.
(1968) The Complete British Butterflies in Colour.

Porter, J.
(1997) The Colour Identification Guide to Caterpillars of the British Isles, Viking,
Harmondsworth.

Riley, A. M.
(2007) British and Irish Butterflies: the Complete Identification, Field and Site Guide to the Species, Subspecies and Forms, Brambleby Books, Luton. ISBN: 978-0-9553928-0-1

Sterry, P. Photographic Guide to the Butterflies of Britain and Europe
New Holland Publishers Ltd; 2nd Revised edition edition (1 May 2001) Language English ISBN-10: 1843302659 ISBN-13: 978-1859747308

Tolman, T., Lewington, R.
(1997) Butterflies of Britain & Europe. Harper Collins, London. ISBN-13: 978-0007242344

Britain's Butterflies: A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Britain and Ireland (Second edition, fully revised and updated) (Britain's Wildlife) [Illustrated] [Paperback] D. E. Newland D. E. Newland (Author) IISBN-13: 978-1903657300 Princeton University Press; Second edition (16 Aug 2010)

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