Species Listing

This page contains a listing of all primary species found in the UK (click here to also see secondary species). The species are organised by the family to which they belong.

Family: Hesperiidae

The Hesperiidae family contains species more commonly known as "skippers". The vernacular names follow Emmet and Heath (1990). The scientific names follow Bradley (2000).

Chequered Skipper
Carterocephalus palaemon

c 1526 Small Skipper larw 10 23#001 [Ben Smart]

Small Skipper
Thymelicus sylvestris
Photo © Ben Smart

Essex Skipper - larva - Kent - 22-Jun-07 [Marc Heath]

Essex Skipper
Thymelicus lineola
Photo © Marc Heath

Lulworth Skipper
Thymelicus acteon

Silver-Spotted Skipper - larva - Unknown location - Unknown date (2) [REARED] [Reg Fry]

Silver-spotted Skipper
Hesperia comma
Photo © Reg Fry

Large Skipper - larva - Unknown location - Uknown date (3) [Ben Smart]

Large Skipper
Ochlodes sylvanus
Photo © Ben Smart

Dingy Skipper - larva - Unknown location - Unknown date (3) [REARED] [Reg Fry]

Dingy Skipper
Erynnis tages
Photo © Reg Fry

Grizzled Skipper - larva - Thatcham - 21-Aug-11 (3) [REARED]

Grizzled Skipper
Pyrgus malvae
Photo © Pete Eeles

Family: Papilionidae

The Papilionidae family contains species more commonly known as "swallowtails". The vernacular names follow Emmet and Heath (1990). The scientific names follow Bradley (2000).

Swallowtail - larva - Norfolk - 02-Aug-05 (2) [Trevor Sawyer]

Swallowtail
Papilio machaon
Photo © Trevor Sawyer

Family: Pieridae

The Pieridae family contains species more commonly known as "whites". The vernacular names follow Emmet and Heath (1990). The scientific names follow Bradley (2000).

Wood White - larva - Unknown location - 2004 (2) [REARED] [Reg Fry]

Wood White
Leptidea sinapis
Photo © Reg Fry

Cryptic Wood White
Leptidea juvernica

Pale Clouded Yellow - larva - Thatcham - 30-Oct-09 (2) {REARED}

Pale Clouded Yellow
Colias hyale
Photo © Pete Eeles

Bergers Clouded Yellow - larva - Thatcham - 30-Oct-09 (1) {REARED}

Berger's Clouded Yellow
Colias alfacariensis
Photo © Pete Eeles

Clouded Yellow - larva - Thatcham - 31-Oct-07 (1224) {REARED}

Clouded Yellow
Colias croceus
Photo © Pete Eeles

Brimstone larva (reared) - Caterham, Surrey 30-May-2012

Brimstone
Gonepteryx rhamni
Photo © Vince Massimo

Black-Veined White - larva - Thatcham - 15-Apr-06 (2) [REARED]

Black-veined White
Aporia crataegi
Photo © Pete Eeles

Large White - larva - Thatcham - 09-Jun-07 (2)

Large White
Pieris brassicae
Photo © Pete Eeles

Small White - larva - Thatcham - 04-Oct-11 (1) {REARED}

Small White
Pieris rapae
Photo © Pete Eeles

Green-Veined White - larva - Thatcham - 06-Jun-09 (2) {REARED}

Green-veined White
Pieris napi
Photo © Pete Eeles

Bath White - larva - Thatcham - 22-Jul-08 (1) {REARED}

Bath White
Pontia daplidice
Photo © Pete Eeles

Orange-tip - larva - Thatcham - 31-May-10 (1) {REARED}

Orange-tip
Anthocharis cardamines
Photo © Pete Eeles

Family: Lycaenidae

The Lycaenidae family contains species more commonly known as "hairstreaks", "coppers" or "blues". The vernacular names follow Emmet and Heath (1990). The scientific names follow Bradley (2000).

Green Hairstreak - larva - Unknown location - Unknown date [Tim Norriss]

Green Hairstreak
Callophrys rubi
Photo © Tim Norriss

Brown Hairstreak - larva - Thatcham - 10-Jun-06 (0249) [REARED]

Brown Hairstreak
Thecla betulae
Photo © Pete Eeles

Purple Hairstreak - larva - Thatcham - 28-Apr-07 (1) {REARED}

Purple Hairstreak
Neozephyrus quercus
Photo © Pete Eeles

White-letter Hairstreak - larva - Thatcham - 04-May-10 (2) {REARED}

White-letter Hairstreak
Satyrium w-album
Photo © Pete Eeles

Black Hairstreak - larva - Thatcham - 22-Apr-08 (6) {REARED}

Black Hairstreak
Satyrium pruni
Photo © Pete Eeles

Small Copper - larva - Thatcham - 31-Mar-07 (1) {REARED}

Small Copper
Lycaena phlaeas
Photo © Pete Eeles

Large Copper - larva - Thatcham - 22-Aug-08 (1) {REARED}

Large Copper
Lycaena dispar
Photo © Pete Eeles

Long-Tailed Blue - larva - Thatcham - 03-Nov-09 (1) {REARED}

Long-tailed Blue
Lampides boeticus
Photo © Pete Eeles

Small Blue - larva - Magdalen Hill Down - 11-Jul-12

Small Blue
Cupido minimus
Photo © Pete Eeles

Short-tailed Blue - larva - Thatcham - 19-Oct-10 (2) {REARED}

Short-tailed Blue
Everes argiades
Photo © Pete Eeles

Silver-Studded Blue - larva - Unknown location - May-05 (4) [Reg Fry]

Silver-studded Blue
Plebejus argus
Photo © Reg Fry

Brown Argus - larva - Stockbridge Down - Jul-90 [Tim Norriss]

Brown Argus
Aricia agestis
Photo © Tim Norriss

Northern Brown Argus - larva - Perthshire - Unknown date (4) [REARED] [Graham Smith]

Northern Brown Argus
Aricia artaxerxes
Photo © Graham Smith

Common Blue - larva - Thatcham - 05-May-10 (2) {REARED}

Common Blue
Polyommatus icarus
Photo © Pete Eeles

Chalkhill Blue - larva - Stockbridge Down - 12-Jun-04 (4)

Chalkhill Blue
Lysandra coridon
Photo © Pete Eeles

Adonis Blue larva - Mill Hill, Sussex 14-April-2011

Adonis Blue
Lysandra bellargus
Photo © Sussex Kipper

Mazarine Blue
Cyaniris semiargus

Holly Blue - larva - Thatcham - 07-Sep-12

Holly Blue
Celastrina argiolus
Photo © Pete Eeles

Large Blue - larva - Nr. Stroud - 20-Jul-12-11

Large Blue
Maculinea arion
Photo © Pete Eeles

Duke of Burgundy - larva - Thatcham - 20-Jun-09 (3) {REARED}

Duke of Burgundy
Hamearis lucina
Photo © Pete Eeles

Family: Nymphalidae

The Nymphalidae family contains species more commonly known as "aristocrats", "fritillaries" or "browns". The vernacular names follow Emmet and Heath (1990). The scientific names follow Bradley (2000).