www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Just imagine how we would twitch this beautiful butterfly if it were rare.

I reckon Red Admiral and Peacock are as spectacular as any butterflies in the world.

Other suggestions?

Jack

I think small tortoiseshells are spectacular as are the UK swallowtails.

My personal favourites are Commas - stunning when new, and full of quirky behaviour if you watch them for a while. Next would be Marbled Whites - again, quite beautiful when newly emerged.

Dave

Jack Harrison wrote:Just imagine how we would twitch this beautiful butterfly if it were rare. I reckon Red Admiral and Peacock are as spectacular as any butterflies in the world. Jack

I have often said this myself Jack. Red Admirals in particular are stunners. However, it's difficult to pull 'the brain apart' and disassociate past experience of knowing how difficult a species is to see, and also, where you hold it in your memory.

European (or British) Swallowtails for me will always hold a mystique, because it was so long between reading about them in my 'Observers book of Butterflies' and actually seeing my first one I don't know if anyone heard Chris Packham on 'Springwatch' earlier this year somewhat damning the Swallowtail and saying that the Speckled Wood is every bit as lovely and that the Swallowtail is a bit Art Deco. Sorry Chris, I normally agree with you but not on this one

Early Brimstones in spring are a particularly lovely site, partly because we know better times may be round the corner. Male Orange Tips too with their wonderful dash of vibrant colour.

Oh, I do still love the Speckled Woods because they can be in the garden at any time of the year. But better than a Swallowtail? Oh, no sirreee...

I think Dave Simcox's reply to "what's your favourite butterfly" - "whichever one I'm looking at" - sums it up for me. They're all special and for different reasons.

Cheers,

- Pete

Perhaps my original post could have been clearer. I was talking about spectacular butterflies rather than favourite butterflies. In fact, Red Admiral is not really one of my favourites; Orange Tip; (signifying that spring has arrived) is my real favourite. However, lovely as the Orange Tip is, it isn’t really in the spectacular category as are Red Admirals and Peacocks that are a match for any in the world but get overlooked here due to their familiarity.

Tropical spectacular butterflies include such as the Morphos:

http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q= ... 40&bih=774

Jack

Jack Harrison wrote:... lovely as the Orange Tip is, it isn’t really in the spectacular category ...

Depends on your definition of spectacular

Cheers,

- Pete

Brimstones are one of my favourites. The sheer elegance of the shape and intricate markings. The male as brilliant as the female is understated.

I have 3 favourite butterflies

The one I last saw.
The one I am looking at today.
The one I am hoping to see next.

but I have a real soft spot for the small copper.................

Rogerdodge wrote:The one I am hoping to see next.

Looking at todays weather, that'll probably be April 2011 then.

Michael

One of my fondest memories is of a bright and crisp February morning with sparkly snow on the ground and a cracking male Brimstone flying along a woodland edge on the fringe of Exmoor.

Stunning.

A_T wrote:Brimstones are one of my favourites. The sheer elegance of the shape and intricate markings. The male as brilliant as the female is understated.

Yes, agreed. I go quite weak-kneed when I see one. I think it's because they are so unique. No other British butterfly is leaf-like, and though Brimstones are widespread, you can never rely upon seeing one anywhere, so any sighting at all is regarded as a welcome bonus.

They're hard to predict too. They can be aggravatingly hard to approach, yet can surprise you when you least expect it by settling for minutes on end right in front of you.

I love them so much, they're relaxed and cool and they'll wander all over the place rather than sticking resolutely to a local 'patch'.

Commas and Silver Washed Fritillaries make me laugh with their histrionic behaviour, Blues/Small Coppers make me chuckle with their pugnacity in relation to their size, and Hairstreaks are endearing due to their sheer approachability, but none tick as many boxes as the dear old Brimstone.

Having seen lots of Brimstones in mainly woodland settings this year it was lovely seeing a surprisingly urban male on Haven Green, not far from Ealing Broadway station this spring.

And I added a female to my local cemetery tally last week making 18 species seen over there!

Cheers

Lee

Spectacular if not weird in ultra close-up.

Jack