Comprehensive English Butterfly Identification Chart

[PhilBJohnson]

Which English butterfly Guide or identification wall chart might be most comprehensive, always including both sexes, average actual sizes, forewings and underwings, at rest (including camouflaged) wing positions, not just stretched, "pinned looking" wing spans?
Also seasonal, generational colour differences.
How many different "subjects" might there be?

Apart from possibly, the Orange-tip butterfly, which other English butterfly species, were readily sex identifiable, from their underside wing markings, assuming no back lit, old, descaled tatty specimens?

[David M]

I'm not sure that there is either a guide or a wall chart with such comprehensive features, Phil.

I personally have Richard Lewington's FSC wall chart at home, although it only depicts both sexes where there is a strong degree of dimorphism (and it also lacks Large Blue, presumably because it was created in that period when this species was considered extinct in Britain):

https://camperessentials.co.uk/product/ ... n-guide-2/

As for those domestic species where the sexes are readily identifiable via the undersides, I could add Brimstone, Marbled White and several of the Blues to your Orange Tip.

[PhilBJohnson]

Thanks David M,
With a FSC guide, illustrated by Richard Lewington (1998), the Orange-tip underside orange tips, looked quite orange colour saturated.
The upper wing orange, sometimes, in the right light (a butterfly often opened it's wings in direct sunlight), was seen, quite boldly, through to the underside. What I found interesting, looking at Orange-tip butterfly undersides in collections, was that the area of Orange appeared slightly smaller and possibly slightly paler, on the underside, than on the upper side. The orange tip (on the underside) not quite extending so far towards the wing extreme tip, compared with the upper side, that might have helped keep a butterfly camouflaged at rest, with upper wing tucked behind lower wing.

In the strongest backlit sun light, the Orange from the male Orange-tip, might be observed through both upper and lower wings, in it's wings tucked in, camouflaged (Garlic mustard flower head) resting position.

Backlit, freshly emerged, might not be my best example (but it was my rushed one).

#WingTransparency

In generality, from collections where male and female English butterflies were both displayed, in different species, average size difference between male and female was often significant with males being smaller in wing size, as well as body size.

Field Guide and photography causing least disturbance
Camouflaged and or at rest wing positions worked for someone wanting to notice something before fright flight, in the field (or a field).