List of butterflies of Great Britain

Dingy skipper

Grizzled skipper

Subfamily Heteropterinae

• Chequered skipper – Carterocephalus palaemon ^LC

– formerly thinly distributed in south and east, now confined to western Scotland; re-establishment project ongoing (2018–2020) Rockingham Forest, England[9]

Subfamily Hesperiinae

• Small skipper – Thymelicus sylvestris ^LC

– throughout Wales and England, except far north-east and north-west; spreading north and west

• Essex skipper – Thymelicus lineola ^LC

– throughout south-east England, with scattered populations in West Country and as far north as the Humber estuary; spreading north and west

• Lulworth skipper – Thymelicus acteon ^NT

– confined to the south coast between Weymouth and Swanage

• Silver-spotted skipper – Hesperia comma ^V

– restricted to southern England: east Kent, east Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, north Dorset, south Wiltshire and the southern Chilterns; expanding distribution

• Large skipper – Ochlodes sylvanus ^LC

– throughout England and Wales, and north to south-west Scotland

Subfamily Pyrginae

• Dingy skipper – Erynnis tages tages ^LC

– thinly distributed through much of England and Wales, and in the Scottish Highlands

• Grizzled skipper – Pyrgus malvae ^V

– southern England north to north-east Wales, and south-east Wales

Old World swallowtail

Subfamily Papilioninae

• Swallowtail – Papilio machaon ^V

• P. machaon britannicus (endemic subspecies) – confined to Norfolk Broads (formerly also in The Fens)
• P. machaon gorganus – rare migrant and occasional breeder from Continental Europe to southern England and southern Wales

Common brimstone

Green-veined white

Male orange tip

Subfamily Dismorphiinae

• Wood white – Leptidea sinapis sinapis ^E

– Devon and west Somerset; Surrey; Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire; and Worcestershire and Herefordshire

Subfamily Coliadinae

• Dark clouded yellow – Colias croceus ^LC

– immigrant, though overwintering in south-west; north to River Clyde in some years

• Common brimstone – Gonepteryx rhamni rhamni ^LC

– throughout England (except north) and Wales (except south-west, central west and far north-west); expanding range north and "infilling"

Subfamily Pierinae

• Large white – Pieris brassicae ^LC

– throughout, but thinly spread in north-west half of Scotland

• Small white – Pieris (Artogeia) rapae ^LC

– throughout, except far north

• Green-veined white – Pieris (Artogeia) napi ^LC

• P. napi sabellicae – throughout (except for area occupied by subspecies thomsoni)
• P. napi thomsoni – east-central Scotland

• Orange tip – Anthocharis cardamines britannica ^LC

– throughout, except far north and north-west; expanding range in Scotland and "infilling" in England and Wales

Brown hairstreak

Brown argus

Northern brown argus

Chalkhill blue

Holly blue

Subfamily Theclinae

• Green hairstreak – Callophrys rubi ^LC

– throughout much of country

• Brown hairstreak – Thecla betulae ^V

– south of the Humber estuary, with concentrations in south-west Wales, north Devon and south-west Somerset, and west Weald. In 2009 eggs were found at Feckenham Wylde Moor reserve in Worcestershire.[10]

• Purple hairstreak – Neozephyrus (Quercusia) quercus ^LC

– throughout most of England and Wales, more thinly distributed north to River Clyde

• White-letter hairstreak – Satyrium (Strymonidia) w-album ^V

– throughout much of England (except far south-west and north-west) and eastern Wales

• Black hairstreak – Satyrium (Strymonidia) pruni ^E

– confined to heavy clay soils along Chiltern hills

Subfamily Lycaena

• Small copper – Lycaena phlaeas eleus ^LC

– throughout, except far north and north-west

Subfamily Polyommatinae

• Small blue – Cupido minimus ^NT

– southern and south-central England, south Wales coast, and east coast of Scotland (patchy distribution)

• Silver-studded blue – Plebejus argus ^V

• P. argus argus – south-west and south England, East Anglia coast, and north Wales and north-east Wales borders
• P. argus cretaceus – formerly on chalk and limestone downland of south and south-east coasts, now restricted to Portland Bill
• P. argus caernensis – Great Ormes Head (north Wales)
• P. argus masseyi – extinct (formerly north-west England)

• Brown argus – Aricia agestis ^LC

– throughout southern England, north to River Tees, south and north coasts of Wales; expanding range north

– evidence of hybridization with A. artaxerxes salmacis across northern England and Wales

• Northern brown argus – Aricia artaxerxes ^V

• A. artaxerxes salmacis (Castle Eden argus) – England from north Lancashire north

– evidence of hybridization with A. agestis across northern England and Wales

• A. artaxerxes artaxerxes – Scotland

• Common blue – Polyommatus icarus icarus ^LC

– throughout

• Chalkhill blue – Lysandra coridon ^V

– southern England

• Adonis blue – Lysandra bellargus ^V

– south England; expanding range north and west

• Holly blue – Celastrina argiolus britanna ^LC

– north to Solway Firth and River Tyne; expanding range north

• Large blue – Phengaris arion ^NT

• P. arion eutyphron (endemic subspecies) – extinct
• P. arion arion – introduced to various sites in west England

Duke of Burgundy

• Duke of Burgundy – Hamearis lucina ^V

– central-south England; "pockets" in north-east, north-west and south-east England

Silver-washed fritillary

Red admiral

Small tortoiseshell

Peacock

Comma

Speckled wood

Marbled white

Gatekeeper

Meadow brown

Small heath

Subfamily Heliconiinae

• Small pearl-bordered fritillary – Boloria (Clossiana) selene ^V

• B. selene selene – widespread in Wales, Scotland, southern and northern England
• B. selene insularum – western Scotland and Inner Hebrides

• Pearl-bordered fritillary – Boloria (Clossiana) euphrosyne ^V

– patchily distributed through southern England, Wales, north-west and north-east England, and Scotland

• High brown fritillary – Fabriciana adippe ^E

– patchy distribution in west England and Wales

• Dark green fritillary – Speyeria aglaja ^NT

• S. aglaja aglaja – patchy distribution throughout, except Scotland
• S. aglaja scotica – Scotland

• Silver-washed fritillary – Argynnis paphia ^LC

– south-western half of England and Wales; (re)expanding range east, including East Anglia

Subfamily Limenitidinae

• White admiral – Limenitis camilla ^V

– southern England and eastern Wales

Subfamily Apaturinae

• Purple emperor – Apatura iris ^LC

– southern England

Subfamily Nymphalinae

• Red admiral – Vanessa atalanta ^LC

– resident and common immigrant throughout

• Painted lady – Vanessa cardui^LC

– immigrant throughout

• Small tortoiseshell – Aglais urticae ^LC

– throughout

• Peacock – Aglais io^LC

– throughout, except Scottish Highlands and Western Isles; expanding range throughout Scotland, including Western Isles

• Comma – Polygonia c-album ^LC

– throughout England and Wales; expanding range northwards and spreading in southern Scotland

• Marsh fritillary – Euphydryas (Eurodryas) aurinia ^V

– patchy distribution, mostly in west

• Glanville fritillary – Melitaea cinxia ^E

– southern coast of Isle of Wight and Channel Islands (formerly widespread in south-east)

• Heath fritillary – Melitaea athalia ^E

– West Country and Kent; re-introduced to Essex

Subfamily Satyrinae

• Speckled wood – Pararge aegeria ^LC

• P. aegeria tircis – throughout southern third of Great Britain, Scottish Highlands; expanding range north and east in England and Scotland; has colonized Isle of Man
• P. aegeria oblita – western Scotland and Inner Hebrides
• P. aegeria insula – Isles of Scilly

• Wall – Lasiommata megera ^E

– throughout England and Wales, southern Scotland (localized); expanding north and "infilling", but declined rapidly inland in East Anglia

• Small mountain ringlet – Erebia epiphron ^NT

• E. epiphron mnemon – Cumbria
• E. epiphron scotica – central Scotland

• Scotch argus – Erebia aethiops ^V

• E. aethiops aethiops – Cumbria
• E. aethiops caledonia – Scotland

• Marbled white – Melanargia galathea serena ^LC

– throughout south-east half of the country, including West Country, but not most of East Anglia; expanding range northwards

• Grayling – Hipparchia semele ^E

• H. semele semele – much of English coast, inland in parts of south and East Anglia
• H. semele scota – eastern Scotland (near coast)
• H. semele thyone – Wales
• H. semele atlantica – Hebrides

• Gatekeeper – Pyronia tithonus britanniae ^LC

– throughout southern half of country, except central Wales; expanding range northwards

• Meadow brown – Maniola jurtina ^LC

• M. jurtina insularis – throughout (except for areas occupied by other subspecies)
• M. jurtina cassiteridum – Isles of Scilly
• M. jurtina splendida – western Scotland, including Hebrides

• Ringlet – Aphantopus hyperantus ^LC

– throughout, except north-west England and north-west half of Scotland; expanding range in English Midlands, western England, English–Scottish borders, and Scotland; "infilling" southern Scotland

• Small heath – Coenonympha pamphilus ^V

• C. pamphilus pamphilus – throughout, except far north and Hebrides
• C. pamphilus rhoumensis – Hebrides

• Large heath – Coenonympha tullia ^E

• C. tullia davus – patchy distribution throughout northern and central England
• C. tullia polydama – central-west and north Wales, northern England and southern Scotland
• C. tullia scotica – rest of Scotland

Extinct

• Arran brown – Erebia ligea
• Black-veined white – Aporia crataegi ^RE
• Mazarine blue – Cyaniris semiargus (now vagrant only)^RE
• Large copper – Lycaena dispar (Great Britain subspecies extinct; continental subspecies introduced now also extinct)^RE
• Large tortoiseshell – Nymphalis polychloros (now vagrant only, although sightings in southern England since 2007 suggest recolonisation may be occurring)^RE
• Almond-eyed ringlet – Erebia alberganus

Vagrants

• Pale clouded yellow – Colias hyale
• Berger's clouded yellow – Colias alfacariensis
• Bath white – Pontia daplidice
• Western dappled white – Euchloe crameri
• Long-tailed blue – Lampides boeticus
• Lang's short-tailed blue – Leptotes pirithous
• Scarce swallowtail – Iphiclides podalirius
• Short-tailed blue – Cupido (Everes) argiades
• Geranium bronze – Cacyreus marshalli (imported on geraniums)
• Scarce or yellow-legged tortoiseshell – Nymphalis xanthomelas
• Camberwell beauty – Nymphalis antiopa
• Map – Araschnia levana (formerly introduced and bred)
• Queen of Spain fritillary – Issoria lathonia
• Monarch – Danaus plexippus
• Plain tiger – Danaus chrysippus (single record from Cambridgeshire, April 2011, coincident with influx of vagrant Odonata)[11]
• Apollo – Parnassius apollo
• American painted lady – Vanessa virginiensis

Exotics

Species included in the Great Britain Lepidoptera numbering system, but believed never to have occurred naturally in a wild state

• Fiery skipper – Hylephila phyleus
• Mallow skipper – Carcharodus alceae
• Oberthür's grizzled skipper – Pyrgus armoricanus
• Shy saliana – Saliana longirostris[12]
• Small Apollo – Parnassius phoebus
• Spanish festoon – Zerynthia rumina
• Southern festoon – Zerynthia polyxena
• Tiger swallowtail – Papilio glaucus
• Moorland clouded yellow – Colias palaeno
• Cleopatra – Gonepteryx cleopatra
• Slate flash – Rapala schistacea
• Scarce copper – Lycaena virgaureae
• Sooty copper – Lycaena tityrus
• Purple-shot copper – Lycaena alciphron
• Purple-edged copper – Lycaena hippothoe
• Turquoise blue – Polyommatus dorylas
• Green-underside blue – Glaucopsyche alexis
• Julia – Dryas julia
• Albin's Hampstead eye (meadow argus) – Junonia villida
• Blue pansy – Junonia oenone
• Zebra – Colobura dirce
• Small brown shoemaker (orange mapwing) – Hypanartia lethe
• Indian red admiral – Vanessa indica
• Weaver's fritillary – Boloria dia
• Aphrodite fritillary – Speyeria aphrodite
• Niobe fritillary – Fabriciana niobe
• Cardinal or Mediterranean fritillary – Argynnis pandora
• Great spangled fritillary – Speyeria cybele[12]
• Spotted fritillary – Melitaea didyma
• Large wall – Lasiommata maera
• Woodland grayling – Hipparchia fagi
• Hermit – Chazara briseis
• False grayling – Arethusana arethusa
• Cassia's owl-butterfly – Opsiphanes cassiae[12]
• Illioneus giant owl – Caligo illioneus[12]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lepidoptera of the United Kingdom.

• Butterfly Conservation – Britain's butterfly and moth conservation society
• List of butterflies of Ireland
• List of moths of Great Britain