Larval Foodplants

This page lists the larval foodplants used by British and Irish butterflies. The name of each foodplant links to a Google search and secondary food sources are greyed out. The information on this page is taken from Life Cycles of British and Irish Butterflies (Eeles, 2019). Plant names are taken from New Flora of the British Isles, 4th edition (Stace, 2019).

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Plant Name	Plant Scientific Name	Foodplant For	Qualification
Agrimony	Agrimonia eupatoria	Grizzled Skipper
Alder Buckthorn	Frangula alnus	Brimstone	Acid soils
		Green Hairstreak	Woodland
Aspen	Populus tremula	Large Tortoiseshell
Barren Strawberry	Potentilla sterilis	Grizzled Skipper
bents	Agrostis spp.	Gatekeeper
		Meadow Brown	Young larvae
		Small Heath
		Wall
Bilberry	Vaccinium myrtillus	Green Hairstreak	Boggy habitat
birches	Betula spp.	Camberwell Beauty
Bitter-vetch	Lathyrus linifolius	Wood White
Black Medick	Medicago lupulina	Common Blue
		Silver-studded Blue	Great Orme
Blackthorn	Prunus spinosa	Black Hairstreak
		Black-veined White
		Brown Hairstreak
Bladder-senna	Colutea arborescens	Long-tailed Blue
Blue Moor-grass	Sesleria caerulea	Scotch Argus
brambles	Rubus spp.	Green Hairstreak	Woodland
		Grizzled Skipper
		Holly Blue	Summer brood
Bristle Bent	Agrostis curtisii	Grayling	Heathland
Broad-leaved Dock	Rumex obtusifolius	Small Copper
Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea	Lathyrus latifolius	Long-tailed Blue
Broom	Cytisus scoparius	Green Hairstreak	Heathland
		Long-tailed Blue
Buck's-horn Plantain	Plantago coronopus	Glanville Fritillary
Buckthorn	Rhamnus cathartica	Brimstone	Calcareous soils
buckthorns	Frangula alnus and Rhamnus cathartica	Holly Blue	Summer brood
burdocks	Arctium spp.	Painted Lady
Cabbage family	Brassicaceae	Bath White
		Large White
		Small White
Charlock	Sinapis arvensis	Green-veined White
		Orange-tip
cherries	Prunus spp.	Black Hairstreak
		Brown Hairstreak
clovers	Trifolium spp.	Clouded Yellow
		Pale Clouded Yellow
Cock's-foot	Dactylis glomerata	Essex Skipper
		Large Skipper
		Marbled White
		Meadow Brown
		Ringlet
		Scotch Argus
		Small Skipper
		Speckled Wood
		Wall
Common Bent	Agrostis capillaris	Scotch Argus
Common Bird's-foot-trefoil	Lotus corniculatus	Clouded Yellow
		Common Blue
		Cryptic Wood White
		Dingy Skipper
		Green Hairstreak	Calcareous soils
		Short-tailed Blue
		Silver-studded Blue	Great Orme, Portland
		Wood White
Common Cottongrass	Eriophorum angustifolium	Large Heath
Common Couch	Elytrigia repens	Essex Skipper
		Ringlet
		Scotch Argus
		Speckled Wood
Common Cow-wheat	Melampyrum pratense	Heath Fritillary
Common Dog-violet	Viola riviniana	Dark Green Fritillary
		High Brown Fritillary
		Pearl-bordered Fritillary
		Silver-washed Fritillary
		Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Common Nettle	Urtica dioica	Comma
		Painted Lady
		Peacock
		Red Admiral
		Small Tortoiseshell
Common Restharrow	Ononis repens	Common Blue
Common Rock-rose	Helianthemum nummularium	Brown Argus	Chalk and limestone grassland
		Green Hairstreak	Calcareous soils
		Northern Brown Argus
		Silver-studded Blue	Great Orme, Portland
Common Sorrel	Rumex acetosa	Small Copper
Common Stork's-bill	Erodium cicutarium	Brown Argus	Other habitats
Cowslip	Primula veris	Duke of Burgundy
Crack-willow	Salix × fragilis	Purple Emperor
Creeping Cinquefoil	Potentilla reptans	Grizzled Skipper
Creeping Soft-grass	Holcus mollis	Essex Skipper
		Small Skipper
Cross-leaved Heath	Erica tetralix	Green Hairstreak	Heathland
Cuckooflower	Cardamine pratensis	Green-veined White
		Orange-tip
currants	Ribes spp.	Comma
Dame's-violet	Hesperis matronalis	Orange-tip
Devil's-bit Scabious	Succisa pratensis	Marsh Fritillary
Dog-rose	Rosa canina	Grizzled Skipper
Dogwood	Cornus sanguinea	Green Hairstreak	Calcareous soils
		Holly Blue	Spring brood
Dove's-foot Crane's-bill	Geranium molle	Brown Argus	Other habitats
Downy Oat-grass	Avenula pubescens	Meadow Brown
Dyer's Greenweed	Genista tinctoria	Green Hairstreak	Heathland
Early Hair-grass	Aira praecox	Grayling	Calcareous soils
elms	Ulmus spp.	Camberwell Beauty
		Comma
		Large Tortoiseshell
English Elm	Ulmus procera	White-letter Hairstreak
Evergreen Oak	Quercus ilex	Purple Hairstreak
False Brome	Brachypodium sylvaticum	Essex Skipper
		Large Skipper
		Meadow Brown
		Ringlet
		Small Skipper
		Speckled Wood
		Wall
False Oxlip	Primula veris x vulgaris	Duke of Burgundy
fescues	Festuca spp.	Gatekeeper
		Meadow Brown	Young larvae
		Small Heath
Field Pansy	Viola arvensis	Queen of Spain Fritillary
Field Scabious	Knautia arvensis	Marsh Fritillary
Foxglove	Digitalis purpurea	Heath Fritillary	Post-hibernation larvae
Garlic Mustard	Alliaria petiolata	Green-veined White
		Orange-tip
Germander Speedwell	Veronica chamaedrys	Heath Fritillary	Post-hibernation larvae
Glaucous Sedge	Carex flacca	Scotch Argus
Goat Willow	Salix caprea	Purple Emperor
Gorse	Ulex europeaus	Green Hairstreak	Heathland
		Holly Blue	Spring brood
		Short-tailed Blue
		Silver-studded Blue	Heathland
Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil	Lotus pedunculatus	Common Blue
		Cryptic Wood White
		Dingy Skipper
		Wood White
Grey Willow	Salix cinerea	Purple Emperor
Hairy Rock-cress	Arabis hirsuta	Orange-tip
Hairy Violet	Viola hirta	Dark Green Fritillary
		High Brown Fritillary	Limestone sites
Hare's-tail Cottongrass	Eriophorum vaginatum	Large Heath
hawthorns	Crataegus spp.	Black-veined White
Heath Dog-violet	Viola canina	High Brown Fritillary
		Pearl-bordered Fritillary
heathers	Calluna and Erica spp.	Silver-studded Blue	Heathland
Hedge Mustard	Sisymbrium officinale	Green-veined White
		Orange-tip
Hoary Rock-rose	Helianthemum oelandicum	Silver-studded Blue	Great Orme
Holly	Ilex spp.	Holly Blue	Spring brood
Honesty	Lunaria annua	Orange-tip
Honeysuckle	Lonicera periclymenum	White Admiral
Hop	Humulus lupulus	Comma
		Peacock
		Red Admiral
Horseshoe Vetch	Hippocrepis comosa	Adonis Blue
		Berger's Clouded Yellow
		Chalk Hill Blue
		Clouded Yellow
		Dingy Skipper
		Silver-studded Blue	Portland
Ivy	Hedera spp.	Holly Blue	Summer brood
Jointed Rush	Juncus articulatus	Large Heath
Kidney Vetch	Anthyllis vulneraria	Small Blue
Large Bitter-cress	Cardamine amara	Green-veined White
		Orange-tip
Lesser Trefoil	Trifolium dubium	Common Blue
Lucerne	Medicago sativa ssp. sativa	Pale Clouded Yellow
mallows	Malva spp.	Painted Lady
Marram	Ammophila arenaria	Grayling	Coastal sites
Marsh Violet	Viola palustris	Dark Green Fritillary
		Pearl-bordered Fritillary	Northern sites
		Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Mat-grass	Nardus stricta	Mountain Ringlet
Meadow Foxtail	Alopecurus pratensis	Essex Skipper
		Small Skipper
Meadow Vetchling	Lathyrus pratensis	Cryptic Wood White
		Wood White
meadow-grasses	Poa spp.	Gatekeeper
		Meadow Brown	Young larvae
		Ringlet
		Small Heath
Milk-parsley	Thyselium palustre	Swallowtail
milkweeds	Asclepias spp.	Monarch
Nasturtium	Tropaeolum majus	Green-veined White
		Large White
		Small White
Pale Dog-violet	Viola lactea	High Brown Fritillary
Pedunculate Oak	Quercus robur	Purple Hairstreak
Pellitory-of-the-wall	Parietaria judaica	Red Admiral
poplars	Populus spp.	Camberwell Beauty
		Large Tortoiseshell
Primrose	Primula vulgaris	Duke of Burgundy
Purple Moor-grass	Molinia caerulea	Chequered Skipper
		Large Chequered Skipper
		Large Skipper
		Scotch Argus
Raspberry	Rubus idaeus	Grizzled Skipper
Red Clover	Trifolium pratense	Mazarine Blue
Red Fescue	Festuca rubra	Grayling	Calcareous soils
		Marbled White	Young larvae
Ribwort Plantain	Plantago lanceolata	Glanville Fritillary
		Heath Fritillary	Unimproved grassland
Salad Burnet	Poterium sanguisorba ssp. sanguisorba	Grizzled Skipper
sallows	Salix spp.	Camberwell Beauty
		Large Tortoiseshell
		Scarce Tortoiseshell
Sea-kale	Crambe maritima	Large White	On the coast
		Small White	On the coast
Sessile Oak	Quercus petraea	Purple Hairstreak
Sheep's Sorrel	Rumex acetosella	Small Copper
Sheep's-fescue	Festuca ovina	Grayling	Calcareous soils
		Marbled White	Young larvae
		Mountain Ringlet
		Scotch Argus
		Silver-spotted Skipper
Silverweed	Potentilla anserina	Grizzled Skipper
Small Nettle	Urtica urens	Peacock
		Red Admiral
		Small Tortoiseshell
Small Scabious	Scabiosa columbaria	Marsh Fritillary
Small-leaved Elm	Ulmus minor ssp. minor	White-letter Hairstreak
snowberries	Symphoricarpos spp.	Holly Blue	Summer brood
		White Admiral
Spindle	Euonymus europaeus	Holly Blue	Spring brood
Sweet Vernal-grass	Anthoxanthum odoratum	Scotch Argus
thistles	Carduus spp. and Cirsium spp.	American Painted Lady
		Painted Lady
Timothy	Phleum pratense	Essex Skipper
		Marbled White
		Small Skipper
Tor-grass	Brachypodium rupestre	Essex Skipper
		Large Skipper
		Lulworth Skipper
		Marbled White
		Wall
Tormentil	Potentilla erecta	Grizzled Skipper
Tufted Hair-grass	Deschampsia cespitosa	Grayling
		Ringlet
		Scotch Argus
Tufted Vetch	Vicia cracca	Cryptic Wood White
		Wood White
Turkey Oak	Quercus cerris	Purple Hairstreak
Turnip	Brassica rapa ssp. rapa	Orange-tip
Viper's-bugloss	Echium vulgare	Painted Lady
Water Dock	Rumex hydrolapathum	Large Copper
Water-cress	Nasturtium officinale	Green-veined White
Wavy Hair-grass	Deschampsia flexuosa	Scotch Argus
		Wall
Wild Cabbage	Brassica oleracea var. oleracea	Green-veined White
Wild Marjoram	Origanum vulgare	Large Blue
Wild Mignonette	Reseda lutea	Large White
		Small White
Wild Pansy	Viola tricolor	Queen of Spain Fritillary
Wild Radish	Raphanus raphanistrum ssp. raphanistrum	Green-veined White
Wild Strawberry	Fragaria vesca	Grizzled Skipper
Wild Thyme	Thymus polytrichus	Large Blue
willows	Salix spp.	Camberwell Beauty
		Comma
		Large Tortoiseshell
Winter-cress	Barbarea vulgaris	Orange-tip
Wood Avens	Geum urbanum	Grizzled Skipper
Wood Small-reed	Calamagrostis epigejoss	Large Skipper
Wych Elm	Ulmus glabra	White-letter Hairstreak
Yorkshire-fog	Holcus lanatus	Marbled White
		Small Skipper
		Speckled Wood
		Wall

Larval Foodplants

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Larval Foodplants

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