Lepidoptera - Butterflies and Moths

Here are some of the butterflies you will see in the countryside in many parts of the UK and Europe. There are links to larger pictures and information about each species.

Small White Artogeia rapae	Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria	Green-veined White Artogeia napi	Small Tortoiseshel Aglais urticae	Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina	Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta	Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina	Common Blue Polyommatus icarus	Peacock Butterfly Inachis io	Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus	Gatekeeper Butterfly Pyronia tithonus
Comma Butterfly Polygonia c-album	Orange-tip Butterfly Anthocharis cardamines	Ringlet Butterfly Aphantopus hyperantus	Painted Lady Cynthia cardui	Silver-studded Blue Plebeius argus	Pearly Heath Coenonympha arcania
Black-veined White Aporia crataegi	Common Swallowtail Papilio machaon	Large Copper Lycaena dispar

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. 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 the following year with a new generation of butterflies and moths laying their eggs.

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 loation might be seriously depleted of some moth species.

Links

Butterfly Conservation...