www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi all,

I've been searching the Internet for an official list of all Butterflies ever recorded in Britain, but each website (From Wikipedia to UK Butterflies) seem to have different numbers of species on their lists. Some suggest 80 have been recorded in an apparently natural state, with some now extinct, whilst another one I found said only 72 had ever been recorded.

Does anyone have a link to, or know of, any official list of Butterflies ever recorded in Britain, or does it just vary dependant on whose list you choose to read?

Cheers.

The "official" list (if there is such a thing!) is provided in "A Recorder's Log Book or Label List of British Butterflies and Moths" by J.D. Bradley and D.S. Fletcher. This list is used on UK Butterflies, in "The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Volume 7 (1) Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae (the Butterflies)" by A. Maitland Emmet and John Heath (editors) and elsewhere.

There are several reasons for inconsistencies. While most authorities agree on the 59 "core" species, they don't agree on the secondary species. Some explanation is given here:

http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species_secondary.php

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

- Pete

Thanks very much Pete, that has helped me out a lot.