The UK Butterflies website provides information on all of the butterfly species found in the British Isles, including those that are extinct or migrants.
This website is open to anyone wishing to contribute - click here to find out how you can help!
Finally, the many website features can be accessed using the drop-down menus found at the top of each page.
"www.ukbutterflies.co.uk is the essential and most comprehensive website on British butterflies. Its inspiring pages provide beautiful images, news and information about butterflies for everyone who is interested in them." - Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington, The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland.
"How do you start butterfly-watching? The website UK Butterflies is a great help on identification." - Simon Barnes, Times Online
A Brief History of British Butterflies
Posted: 24-Aug-10
Every now and again I re-read a favourite butterfly book, the most recent being E.B. Ford's classic Butterflies, first published in 1945 as part of Collins' New Naturalist series. The first chapter of Butterflies is dedicated to "The History of British Butterfly Collecting" and traces the first mention of various species in the British Isles. Much has been learned since Butterflies was first published and more-recent works have brought new discoveries to light in terms of the first mention of British species. The purpose of this article is to bring together, in chronological order, the information that can be gleaned from these publications. - Pete Eeles
2010 Annual Photography Competition
Posted: 13-Aug-10
It's that time again - time to take a good look at your photos in readiness for the 2010 UK Butterflies Photography Competition! This year sees two changes to the format. Firstly, entries need to be uploaded to the forum gallery album dedicated to the competition. Secondly, the winning entries will be determined by a panel of judges - Pete Eeles, Gary Richardson and Maurice Pugh (who was overall winner of the 2006 competition). You have until the end of October to enter your photos and winning entries will be announced in early November. The overall winning photo will also receive an autographed copy of the new edition of Britain's Butterflies, kindly donated by UK Butterflies sponsor, WildGuides. Click here for details and good luck!
British Butterflies - a History in Books, a Review
Posted: 08-Aug-10
From the publisher: This book is the first to trace the 400-year history of books about British butterflies. From Thomas Moffett’s The Theatre of Insects of 1634, through to the mass of modern-day guides and scientific works, some 600 titles are featured. The whole spectrum of butterfly-related literature is covered, from the earliest discovery and naming of butterflies in the British Isles to contemporary scientific works on ecology and conservation. The book is illustrated with reproductions of fine prints from old butterfly and insect books, many in colour, along with photographs showing styles of typical bindings and book design.Click here to read the review.
Big Butterfly Count
Posted: 16-Jul-10
The big butterfly count is a nationwide survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment. The survey is being launched during 2010 to mark the International Year of Biodiversity. Butterflies react very quickly to change in their environment which makes them excellent biodiversity indicators. Butterfly declines are an early warning for other wildlife losses. That’s why counting butterflies can be described as taking the pulse of nature. The count will also identify trends in species that will help us plan how to protect butterflies from extinction as well as understand the effect of climate change on wildlife.
Click here to see how you can take part
Nature of Farming Award
Posted: 02-Jul-10
The Nature of Farming Award celebrates the fantastic work farmers are already doing for wildlife - with a top prize of £1,000 for the very best. It takes particular dedication and care to run a farm that creates terrific wildlife habitat - and be economically viable. The RSPB has joined forces with Countryfile magazine, Plantlife and Butterfly Conservation to look for the top farms for wildlife from across the UK. Click here to see the nominations and cast your vote!
Butterflies - Messages from Psyche, a Review
Posted: 29-Jun-10
From the publisher: Butterflies – Messages from Psyche explores the phenomena of visual perception, illusion and reality, unveiling the tangled web that insects weave as they employ colour and pattern to deceive and confuse their predators. Philip Howse explains how these living tapestries have been designed by evolution to protect insects from their principal predators, which include birds, lizards, monkeys. There are features of owl eyes, snake heads, caterpillars, lizards, wasps, scorpions, birds’ beaks and feathers to be found there. Many butterflies and moths have bizarre combinations of images on their wings and bodies which prompt comparison with the works of art of the surrealists, such as Magritte and Dali. Many of the signs and symbols also resonate within the human psyche, surfacing in our art, architecture, stories and legends. Click here to read the review.
Large Blue at Collard Hill and a Blog!
Posted: 13-Jun-10
Rob Holden, National Trust Area Warden for South and East Somerset, tells me that Large Blue are now on the wing at Collard Hill, first seen on 6th June. Collard Hill is the only open access site where you can see this species. There is a new hotline number for the site (07824 820 193) and the recorded message is updated at least twice a week. The most significant development, however, is a wonderful Large Blue blog, which is frequently updated by the Collard Hill volunteer warden, Sarah Meredith.
The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland - a Review
Posted: 04-May-10
From the Publisher: The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland is an authoritative account of our butterflies, accessibly written and beautifully illustrated. First published in 1991, it sold out in the early 1990s and was never reprinted. This completely revised edition includes substantially revised species accounts, all including the latest information and research. It also contains nearly 100 new artworks painted by Richard Lewington. It provides comprehensive coverage of all the resident and migratory butterflies found in Great Britain and Ireland, including the latest information on newly discovered species such as Réal’s Wood White and the Geranium Bronze.Click here to read the review.
UK Butterflies Outstanding Contribution Award
Posted: 04-May-10
I'm delighted to announce that Gary and Lisa Richardson are the recipients of the first UK Butterflies Outstanding Contribution Award, as announced at the UK Butterflies Photography Workshop. They receive an autographed copy of Richard Tratt's wonderful "Butterfly Landscapes". Gary and Lisa undertake the 1.5km transect at Danebury Hill each year, organise the annual UK Butterflies photography workshop, organise the UK Butterflies/Butterfly Conservation calendar, and attend several annual events on behalf of UK Butterflies (such as the AES Exhibition and Butterfly Conservation AGM) where they sell their selection of greetings cards and prints. Of the £1709.46 donated by UK Butterflies to Butterfly Conservation last year, over £1500 of that was down to their efforts. All in all, very deserving winners. - Pete Eeles
Concise Butterfly and Moth Guide - a Review
Posted: 04-May-10
From the Publisher: This beautifully illustrated mini field guide is packed with information on the butterflies and moths of Britain and the near Continent. It covers more than 150 species, all of which are illustrated with superb full-colour artworks that show – where relevant – variations in colour, for example for male and female butterflies, as well as some of the most spectacular caterpillars. A concise written account covering size, description, habitat, flight times, distribution, foodplants and habits appears on the same page. The easy-to-follow layouts and superb artworks aid quick and accurate identification, and make this book an indispensable reference in the field as well as at home. It is compact enough to fit in the pocket, yet packed with essential information for the nature enthusiast. To protect it against the elements in the field, the book is wrapped in a durable plastic wallet. Also included is a foldout insert with at-a-glance illustrations showing butterflies and moths by colour and pattern.Click here to read the review.
Natural History Museum Butterfly Explorers Exhibit
Posted: 04-May-10
The Natural History Museum has a Butterfly Explorers exhibit running until 26th September, aimed at families with children aged 5 to 11.
Revisiting a Colony Of Chequered Skipper
Posted: 04-May-10
Lee Slaughter has kindly provided a trip report that describes his trip to revisit a colony of Chequered Skipper in Scotland in 2008.
South Eastern Utah Trip Report
Posted: 04-May-10
A trip report from Utah by Jason Sargerson is now available, describing various butterflies seen on a vacation in June 2009.
Richard Lewington Interview
Posted: 07-Apr-10
Unless you've been hiding in a cupboard for the last 20 years, you can't have failed to come across Richard Lewington's artistic talents in a plethora of natural history works, including The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland (with Jeremy Thomas), the Collins Butterfly Guide (with Tom Tolman), The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland (with Maitland Emmet and John Heath) and the Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland (with Paul Waring and Martin Townsend). I met up with Richard at the end of March and asked him several burning questions of my own, as well as those from the UK Butterflies community. Click here to read the interview. - Pete Eeles
Saving the Kaçkar Mountains
Posted: 30-Mar-10
UK Butterflies is proud to sponsor the Save Kaçkars website. The Kaçkar Mountains at Yusufeli, northeast Turkey, is a hotspot within a hotspot. It has been identified as the area of most outstanding importance for biodiversity within the Turkish part of the internationally recognized Caucasus Global Biodiversity Hotspot. Most stunning are the butterflies; no less than 201 species can be found here. That’s more than most European countries and more than 50% of the 380 species recorded in all Turkey. However, there are well-developed plans for a series of hydroelectric dams and surface water rerouting throughout the area. If constructed, the whole region’s diversity will be significantly impacted, as will the cultural and ecosystem integrity of this globally important region. Click here to sign the petition against development.
The 2010 Wildlife Pledge
Posted: 30-Mar-10
Conservationists are urging the public to help stop further wildlife loss by encouraging their local MPs and Prospective Parliamentary Candidates to sign a new “Wildlife Pledge”, to do all they can to stop and reverse wildlife decline. A consortium of 11 wildlife charities, including Butterfly Conservation, Plantlife, The RSPB and The Wildlife Trusts have pulled together the pledge to help reverse the rapid decline in our wildlife - both species and habitats. It was recently reported that around 500 species have become extinct in England in the recent past and conservationists are appealing to the public to help make wildlife a top priority for politicians and stop further species being lost. The Wildlife Pledge, which can be viewed online at www.wildlifepledges2010.org.uk is supported by wildlife organisations representing over two million people. Click here to read the full press release.
Alice Holt Forest Carnage
Posted: 21-Mar-10
It is with some dismay that I have to report yet another incident of habitat mismanagement. Unfortunately, this time, the impact is so significant that I feel compelled to make this a major item on the UK Butterflies website. A forum topic dedicated to this sad event is given in the Conservation forum. This topic will also provide a source to which I can point the relevant authorities. The issue was first noted on the excellent The Purple Empire website in a particular blog entry for 18th March.
New Feature! Personal Diaries
Posted: 21-Mar-10
A new forum has been set up for members to produce their own personal diary. Although a blog mechanism was added to the forums and ran for a couple of years, the lack of true integration within the forums meant that it was unused, aside from a few members. We hope that using a forum for diaries (or "blogs") will breathe life back into this aspect of the website.
Beauties or Beasts (DVD) Review
Posted: 20-Mar-10
From the publisher: Butterflies are regarded by most as noble creatures attracted to flowers. Few realise they also visit carcasses and excrement. When next you observe butterflies either in the garden or on holiday, you will now see them in a new light. For this DVD will reveal the unseen life of butterflies, with all the surprising behaviour it comprises. The film was shot in butterfly-rich Hungary and in the alpine region of Slovenia. The resulting footage has been acquired with much patience. It has taken two years to complete. This could only be realised with the filmmaker constantly living among butterflies. No other film shows such numbers of them. Think of puddling parties with over 1000 butterflies. Furthermore, this DVD contains unique footage of behaviour, which was never filmed before. Moreover, it includes the latest scientific knowledge of nectaring, mate location, courtship, mud-puddling and mating.Click here to read the review.
Jewels in the Air (DVD) Review
Posted: 19-Mar-10
From the publisher: Interested in butterflies and their presence in the British Isles? Then this unique butterfly guide DVD package is essential for you! If you are at all interested in beautiful butterflies and perhaps conserving this rapidly changing feature of the British countryside and gardens, then you should get to know more with `Jewels in the Air'.Click here to read the review.
Enhanced Video Support
Posted: 24-Feb-10
Given advances in technology, it's inevitable that we're going to see more and more butterfly-related videos on the UK Butterflies website. As a result, the website is now integrated with YouTube, which is pretty much a de-facto standard for video storage these days. You'll find links to relevant videos on each species page, and there is also a Species-specific Video gallery to help you pass the time! In general, the standard of videos is relatively-poor when compared with stills or professionally-produced videos (and watch this space for reviews of a couple of DVDs coming out this year!). In many cases, the chosen background music is dreadful! But there are some classics. It was good to rediscover Matthew Oates' trip to Collard Hill to see Large Blue (see below), and Andy Barker at Magdalen Hill Down looking at his Chalkhill Blues! I've also found some Grayling courtship video (amazing piece!) and a video demonstrating the behaviour of a Scarce Swallowtail larva that I tried to explain to someone once, but couldn't quite articulate the jerky movement it makes as it crawls along! You'll find all of these - and more! - Pete Eeles
Latest Issue of Butterfly Magazine
Posted: 18-Feb-10
The Spring 2010 issue of Butterfly, Butterfly Conservation's magazine is now out. As usual, plenty of excellent articles and news, including some insights into the updated classic Butterflies of Britain and Ireland by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington and a summary of Mike McCarthy's Great British Butterfly Hunt. Not a Butterfly Conservation member? Click here to enter the Butterfly Conservation website where you can find joining instructions.
Website Update
Posted: 30-Jan-10
A couple of new features have been added to the website. The first is a gallery of moths that are often confused with butterflies, with all images contributed by members of the UK Butterflies forums. The second is a summary of butterfly nectar sources that complements the summary of larval foodplants and that has a forum thread dedicated to it where all forum members can contribute to the discussion. Finally, the latest newsletter contains a roundup of recent sightings reported from across the British Isles.
A Lepidoptera Report from Greece
Posted: 09-Jan-10
A Lepidoptera report from Greece is now available, detailing the butterflies and moths observed on a trip made to northern Greece from 7th to 13th June 2009. A big thanks to Peter Davey for co-authoring the report and to Chris Manley, Lynn Fomison, Pat Turner, Robin Turner and Tim Norriss for the use of their wonderful photos.
Contribution to Butterfly Conservation
Posted: 11-Dec-09
As hinted at in the last newsletter, we were hoping that UK Butterflies would be in a position to donate over £1000 to Butterfly Conservation this year. I'm pleased to report that our grand total has come to £1709.46. I'd like to express my appreciation to UK Butterflies sponsor WildGuides as well as BirdGuides, who allowed us to sell some of their books and DVDs with a significant percentage of the sales going towards this total. In particular, however, I'd like to thank Gary Richardson and Lisa Baker-Richardson, once again, for their huge contribution in selling the UK Butterflies calendar and a wonderful array of greetings cards and prints. Their contribution alone came to a shade under £1500.
Improved Newsletter Format
Posted: 11-Dec-09
A new mechanism has been implemented that will allow the UK Butterflies team to post weekly updates of butterfly-related activity during the more-active months. A lot of this information, especially sightings and unusual observations, is often buried in the UK Butterflies forums or various sightings pages from Butterfly Conservation branch websites - so we look forward to keeping you up to date as the year unfolds. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter.
Integration with Google Maps
Posted: 06-Dec-09
The UK Butterflies site information is now available through a new integration with Google Maps. The new mechanism is vastly superior to the old mechanism where maps were almost impossible to view if the particular grid square contained a lot of sites. The new mechanisms allows you to dynamically move around the map, zoom in and out, and combine roads with satellite information, for example. Various "push pins" also allow you to see the species (and species rating, if available) for each site.
2009 Photography Competition Results
Posted: 30-Nov-09
The 2009 photography competition voting has now closed and I'm pleased to announce that the winning shot is Sean Browne's excellent photo of a pair of Wood Whites. Sean wins the publication of his choice from UK Butterflies sponsor, WildGuides. Congratulations to all of the category winners and many thanks to all of the entrants for their contribution. Click here to peruse the winning photos.
UK Butterflies at BC National AGM
Posted: 21-Nov-09
UK Butterflies had a stand at the Butterfly Conservation National AGM, with all profits going to the society. It was good to meet up with so many UKB members and this was, by far, our most successful event to date. A fantastic day with superb presentations and excellent stalls. Some photos from the day can be found here in the UK Butterflies forums.
UK Butterflies at AES Exhibition
Posted: 22-Oct-09
Another milestone for UK Butterflies was reached as we had our first stand at the annual exhibition of the Amateur Entomological Society at Kempton Park racecourse. It was great to meet so many members there - as well as personalities and authors such as Chris Packham, Nick Baker, Richard Lewington, Clive Farrell, David Newland, Richard Fox and Chris Manley. Many kindly popped along to the stand to give us their regards. Some photos from the day can be found here in the UK Butterflies forums.
UK Butterflies a "Top 50" Website
Posted: 19-Aug-09
BBC Countryfile magazine has voted UK Butterflies as one of its "Top 50" British wildlife websites! Click here to see the complete listing - UK Butterflies is listed under the "Best bug websites" category. Thanks to all of the contributors for helping the website receive such an accolade!
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