Green-veined White Butterfly (Pieris napi) Mating

This is a common butterfly of damp grassland and woodland rides and is often mistaken for its cousin, the Small White. It can be found from spring through to autumn in parks and gardens, as well as less-urban areas such as meadows and woodland rides. The so-called green veins on the underside of the adults are, in fact, an illusion created by a subtle combination of yellow and black scales. This is one of the most widespread species found in the British Isles and can be found almost everywhere although it is absent from Shetland and areas of the Scottish Highlands.

Information from Uk Butterflies

Silver Studded Blue (Plebejus argus)

 

The Silver-studded Blue gets its name from the light blue reflective scales found on the underside of most adults and which are quite visible when light reflects off them. As with many other species of blue, the males are blue while the female is a less-conspicuous brown, although this butterfly is highly variable and several named subspecies have females with a certain amount of blue on their wings.

This delightful butterfly is found in close-knit colonies, with individuals rarely flying any distance. Most colonies contain less than a thousand adults. However, a few colonies are huge, with the number of adults measured in tens of thousands, providing an amazing spectacle. Most colonies of this species are found in southern England, although there are several other notable colonies in the east of England and Wales. With the exception of a single site at Prees Heath in Shropshire, this butterfly is absent from central and northern England, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

Information form Uk Butterflies

Butterfly Gallery (Garden)

Speckled Wood butterfly

Speckled Wood butterfly

Red Admiral

The Gatekeeper/ Hedge Brown,

The Gatekeeper/ Hedge Brown,

Brimstone Butterfly

Orange tip butterfly

Comma butterfly

Comma butterfly

Peacock butterfly

Ringlet butterfly

Large Skimmer

Holly Blue butterfly

Speckled Wood Butterfly (Pararge aegeria)(Garden)

Speckled Wood butterfly

The Speckled Wood is a common butterfly and familiar to many observers, especially in woodland where, as its name suggests, it is most often found. The appearance of this butterfly changes from north to south, forming a “cline”, where individuals in the north are dark brown with white spots, with those in more southerly locations being dark brown with orange spots.

A surprising sighting although there are trees where I live  its hardly woodland

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)(garden)

The Red Admiral is a frequent visitor to gardens throughout the British Isles and one of our most well-known butterflies. This butterfly is unmistakable, with the velvety black wings intersected by striking red bands.

This butterfly is primarily a migrant to our shores, although sightings of individuals and immature stages in the first few months of the year, especially in the south of England, mean that this butterfly is now considered resident. This resident population is considered to only be a small fraction of the population seen in the British Isles, which gets topped up every year with migrants arriving in May and June that originate in central Europe. Unfortunately, most individuals are unable to survive our winter, especially in the cooler regions of the British Isles.

Brimstone Butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni)(Garden)

It is commonly believed that the word “butterfly” is a derived from “butter-coloured fly” which is attributed to the yellow of the male Brimstone butterfly, the female being a much paler whitish-green. The Brimstone has a most exquisite wing shape, perfectly matching a leaf when roosting overnight or hibernating within foliage. This is one of the few species that hibernates as an adult and, as such, spends the majority of its life as an adult butterfly.

Gatekeeper Butterfly (Pyronia tithonus)(garden)

The Gatekeeper, also known as the Hedge Brown, is a golden butterfly that provides a welcome sight in the middle of summer, when the fresh adults start to emerge. This butterfly spends much of its time basking with wings open, when the sexes are easy to tell apart – only the male has the distinctive sex brands on the forewings.

Orange Tip Butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines)(garden)

Orange Tip Butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines)

The Orange-tip is a true sign of spring, being one of the first species to emerge that has not overwintered as an adult. The male and female of this species are very different in appearance. The more-conspicuous male has orange tips to the forewings, that give this butterfly its name. These orange tips are absent in the female and the female is often mistaken for one of the other whites, especially the Green-veined White or Small White. This butterfly is found throughout England, Wales and Ireland, but is somewhat-local further north and especially in Scotland. In most regions this butterfly does not form discrete colonies and wanders in every direction as it flies along hedgerows and woodland margins looking for a mate, nectar sources or foodplants. More northerly colonies are more compact and also more restricted in their movements.