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

Small Skipper
Thymelicus sylvestris
Photo © Ben Smart

Essex Skipper
Thymelicus lineola

Lulworth Skipper
Thymelicus acteon

Silver-Spotted Skipper - pupa - Unknown location - Uknown date [Reg Fry]

Silver-spotted Skipper
Hesperia comma
Photo © Reg Fry

Large Skipper - pupa - Unknown location - Uknown date [Ben Smart]

Large Skipper
Ochlodes sylvanus
Photo © Ben Smart

Dingy Skipper
Erynnis tages

Grizzled Skipper - pupa - Thatcham - 22-Sep-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 - pupa - Thatcham - 04-Oct-04 (2) [REARED]

Swallowtail
Papilio machaon
Photo © Pete Eeles

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 - pupa - Thatcham - 07-Aug-09 (1) {REARED}

Wood White
Leptidea sinapis
Photo © Pete Eeles

Cryptic Wood White
Leptidea juvernica

Pale Clouded Yellow - pupa - Thatcham - 03-Nov-09 (1) {REARED}

Pale Clouded Yellow
Colias hyale
Photo © Pete Eeles

Berger's Clouded Yellow pupa. Bred ex Eger, Hungary Jun 2001

Berger's Clouded Yellow
Colias alfacariensis
Photo © Mikhail

Clouded Yellow - pupa - Thatcham - 06-Nov-07 (1) {REARED}

Clouded Yellow
Colias croceus
Photo © Pete Eeles

Brimstone pupa (reared) - Caterham, Surrey 17-June-2012

Brimstone
Gonepteryx rhamni
Photo © Vince Massimo

Black-Veined White - pupa - Gola del Infernaccio, Monti Sibillini, Italy - 16-Jun-08 (2)

Black-veined White
Aporia crataegi
Photo © Pete Eeles

Large White Pupa (Grey-Green form) - Caterham, Surrey 19-Sept-11

Large White
Pieris brassicae
Photo © Vince Massimo

Small White Pupa (Brown Form) - Caterham, Surrey (Reared) 24-Aug-10

Small White
Pieris rapae
Photo © Vince Massimo

Green Veined White Pupa (Reared - 2 Days Before Hatching) - Caterham, Surrey 4-July-10

Green-veined White
Pieris napi
Photo © Vince Massimo

Bath White
Pontia daplidice

Orange Tip Pupa (40 days before hatching) Caterham, Surrey 8-March-12

Orange-tip
Anthocharis cardamines
Photo © Vince Massimo

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 - pupa - Thatcham - 21-Oct-08 (1) {REARED}

Green Hairstreak
Callophrys rubi
Photo © Pete Eeles

Brown Hairstreak Pupa (Reared) Caterham, Surrey 15-June-11

Brown Hairstreak
Thecla betulae
Photo © Vince Massimo

Purple Hairstreak pupa (reared) Henfield, Sussex 1-June-12 [Richard Roebuck]

Purple Hairstreak
Neozephyrus quercus
Photo © Richard Roebuck

White-letter Hairstreak - pupa - Thatcham - 16-May-10 (1) {REARED}

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

Black Hairstreak - pupa - Thatcham - 31-May-10 (4) {REARED}

Black Hairstreak
Satyrium pruni
Photo © Pete Eeles

Small Copper - pupa - Stockbridge Down - 14-Jul-99 [REARED] [Tim Norriss]

Small Copper
Lycaena phlaeas
Photo © Tim Norriss

Large Copper - pupa - Thatcham - 11-Jun-08 (1) {REARED}

Large Copper
Lycaena dispar
Photo © Pete Eeles

Long-Tailed Blue - pupa - Thatcham - 15-Nov-09 (1) {REARED}

Long-tailed Blue
Lampides boeticus
Photo © Pete Eeles

Small Blue
Cupido minimus

Short-Tailed Blue - pupa - Thatcham - 11-Jul-10 (1) [REARED]

Short-tailed Blue
Everes argiades
Photo © Pete Eeles

Silver-Studded Blue - pupa - Unknown location - May-05 (2) [Reg Fry]

Silver-studded Blue
Plebejus argus
Photo © Reg Fry

Brown Argus - pupa - Stockbridge Down - Jul-00 [REARED] [Tim Norriss]

Brown Argus
Aricia agestis
Photo © Tim Norriss

Northern Brown Argus - pupa - Perthshire - 02-Apr-05 [REARED] [Graham Smith]

Northern Brown Argus
Aricia artaxerxes
Photo © Graham Smith

Common Blue Pupa (6 days before hatching) - Caterham, Surrey 8-June-12

Common Blue
Polyommatus icarus
Photo © Vince Massimo

Chalkhill Blue
Lysandra coridon

Adonis Blue - pupa - Thatcham - 06-Oct-04 [REARED]

Adonis Blue
Lysandra bellargus
Photo © Pete Eeles

Mazarine Blue
Cyaniris semiargus

Holly Blue - pupa - Thatcham - 10-Aug-08 (8) {REARED}

Holly Blue
Celastrina argiolus
Photo © Pete Eeles

Large Blue
Maculinea arion
Photo © Marcin Sielezniew

Duke of Burgundy - pupa - Thatcham - 19-Jul-09 (1) {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).