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21June2013Lastupdatedat16:30

HowtoidentifyUKanimals

Agardeninsummershouldbealivewithdelicatebutterfliesofdifferentshapes,sizes,coloursandpatternsall
flutteringaroundafteryourflowers'sweetnectar.
Whileeveryoneshouldbeabletoinstantlyspotapeacockwithitsgaudy,brightcoloursandmarkings.Doyouknowyourwhites
andyourbluesandwhataboutthosewitheyespots?
Infactwingcolourandmarkingsareagoodwaytoidentifysomecommon,andnotsocommon,gardenbutterflies.Letushelp
youthissummerwithourtablebelow.
Forewingcolourandpattern

Forexample

Differencesbetweensimilarspecies

Orangewithdarkmarkings

Smalltortoiseshell

Smalltortoiseshell(Aglaisurticae):Blackand
yellowmarkingsonforewingwithwhitespot.Blue
spotssurroundthemargins.
Comma(Polygoniacalbum):Unmistakeably
raggededgestothewings.White'comma'shape
onthebrownundersides.
Smallcopper(Lycaenaphlaeas):Brownmarginto
forewing.Brownhindwinghasorangeband.
Brownandorangewitheyespots

Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper(Pyroniatithonus):Twinblackeyespots
onforewinghavewhitepupils.
Meadowbrown(Maniolajurtina):Singleblack
eyespotonforewingwithwhitepupil.
Ringlet(Aphantopushyperantus):Variousnumbers
ofyellowringedblackeyespotswithwhitepupilson
underside.

Brightblue

Commonblue

Commonblue(Polyommatusicarus):Narrowblack
orbrownmarginwithawhitefringe.
Hollyblue(Celastrinaargiolus):Paleblue
undersidewithsmalldarkspots.Darkmarginto
forewing.
Adonisblue(Polyommatusbellargus):Blacklines
acrossthewhitewingborderscreateachequered
effect.

Blackforewingtipwithwhitespots

Redadmiral

Redadmiral(Vanessaatalanta):Redbandon
forewingwitharedmargintothehindwingthatalso
hasbluespotatbase.
Paintedlady(Vanessacardui):Restofwingisan
orangepinkcolourwithblackmarkingsandbrown
wingbase.
Whiteadmiral(Limenitiscamilla):Whitebands
acrosstheallblackishwingswithwhiteedging.

Whitewithdarktiptoforewingandspot

Greenveinedwhite

Greenveinedwhite(Pierisnapi):Distinctivecriss
crossofgreenveinstotheundersideofthe
hindwing.
Smallwhite(Pierisrapae):Smallblacktipto
forewingswithoneortwoblackwingspots.
Wingspanto5cm.
Largewhite(Pierisbrassicae):Wingspanto7cm
withbiggerblacktiptoforewingthatextendsdown
edge.

Maroonredwithcolourfuleyespot

Peacock

Peacock(Aglaisio):Afrequentgardenvisitorthat
isinstantlyrecognisableduetoitsbrightcolours
andstrikingeyespots.
Nothingisreallysimilarexceptforthesmall
tortoiseshellandredadmiral.
Seehowanovercastdayisthebesttimeto
watchbutterfliescloseupastheyaren'tso
busy.

Otherspeciesyoumightseeinclude:
Orangetip:Whitewingswithabrightorangetiptotheforewingandadarkspot.
Brimstone:Brightyellowwingsareunmistakeableandahooktothetipoftheforewing.
Wallbrown:Similartothegatekeeper,excepttheorangeandbrowncoloursaremorepatterned.
Othertipsforthegarden
Ofcoursecolouringandmarkingsarejustonewaytoidentifybutterflies,thereareotherthingstolookoutforthatcanaid
identification:
Wingshape:Wingscanbebroadandnarroworjustrounded,alsolookatthewingedges,aretheyjaggedorangular?
Size:Isausefulwayoftellingthedifferencebetweensimilarlookingspecies,forexample,thebestwayofidentifyingasmalland
largewhiteisbysize.
Restingposition:Butterfliesfrequentlyfoldtheirwingsabovetheirbacksexposingtheunderside.Moths,ontheotherhand,
usuallyrestwithwingsspreadouttothesides.
FormorecomprehensiveandinteractiveidentificationguidestherearethesefromButterflyConservationandUKButterflies.
AndforaninstantvisualguidetrythisonefromtheWiderCountrysideButterflySurveythatalsoincludeshandydistribution
maps.
TherearealsothelatestobservationsoniSpot,anonlineresourceforidentifyingandsharingnature.
Don'tworryifyouarewithoutagardenasthelocalparkorcommongroundwillhaveplentyofflowersattractingbutterflies.
Howtoattractbutterflies

Butterfliesareoneofourmostfascinatingandwelcomegardenvisitorsandattractingthem,toeventhesmallestgarden,could
notbeeasier.
TherearesomelovelygardeningtipsfromButterflyConservationandadviceonencouragingbutterfliesintoyourgarden
fromtheRoyalHorticulturalSociety.Infactplantsaregreatforattractingallmanorofcreaturesandwehaveatoptenlistof
plantseverywildlifegardenneeds.
Followthesesimplehintsandtipsandyourgardenwillsoonbeawashwithmovementandcolour.
Despitetheirflutterynaturebutterfliesmakeexcellentsubjectsforphotographywhenfeedingorresting,becauseoftheir
interestingshapes,brightcoloursandintricatepatterns.Soifyouwanttohaveagothenthesehandytipsandtrickswillhelp
youtogetthebestoutofyourphotographicequipment,whateveryourlevelofexpertise.
Wanttohelp?

Thebigbutterflycountisanationwidesurveytoassessthehealthofourenvironmentandistheworld'sbiggestsurveyof
butterflies.
Takingpartcouldn'tbeeasier,simplycountbutterfliesfromyourgardenoranyotherplacefor15minutesduringasunnyday
between20thJulyand11thAugust.Youcanfindoutmoreand,whenthetimecomes,submityoursightingsonthewebsite.

HereishowtogetinvolvedwiththeUKButterflyMonitoringSchemeandbeapartoftheWiderCountrysideButterfly
Survey.
Ifsurveysareyourthing,oryousimplywanttofindoutwhatelseisavailable,wecanshowyouhowtodoawildlifesurveyand
becomeacitizenscientist.
Testyourself

Canyounowidentifywhichbutterflyhasthesecoloursandmarkings?

Orangetopinkbackgroundcolour

Darkmarkingsandforewingtip

Whitespotsontipofdarkforewing

Ourmysterybutterflyspecieswillberevealedbyclickinghere.
Beeninspired?

Whynotgetoutsideandseehowmanydifferentbutterfliesyoucanidentifyfromtheirwingcolourandpatterns.Checkoutthe
natureactivitieshappeningnearyou.
ThentellusaboutwhatyouhaveseenbyjoiningthebigSummerofWildlifeconversationwithBBCNatureonFacebookand
Twitter@BBCNature#summerofwildlife
AllbutterflyphotosusedinthisguideweresharedwithwithusintheSummerofWildlifeFlickrgroupwhereyoucanupload
yours#seeitsnapitshareit

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