Naturetrek Lockdown Butterfly List

The sunniest spring on record here in Hampshire has given us plenty of opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of spring butterflies, many in abundance, at such wonderful local sites as Martin Down, Noar Hill, Old Winchester Hill and Beacon Hill (Warnford). Highlights have included a May Clouded Yellow, abundant Dingy Skippers, Wood White and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary recorded by Tom Mabbett from his Gloucestershire home, new colonies of Duke of Burgundy and Small Blues discovered, and, perhaps alarmingly, Dark Green Fritillaries on the wing in late May, a month early. Indeed, the early emergence of many species has been a feature of the spring, and the almost unbroken run of sunny weather has seen shortened flying seasons, with those of butterflies such as the Duke of Burgundy and Adonis Blue seemingly at an end prematurely by the start of June!

It is easy to think that a sunny summer has benefits for all butterflies, but it can be disastrous for those species not overwintering as eggs, whose larvae rely on the luxuriant growth of their foodplant through the summer to enable their life cycles to progress and ensure fit state for successful overwintering. Looking at the brown slopes of our chalk downlands, their flora apparently already burnt to a crisp, the prosperity of many of our butterflies is a concern.

Naturetrek staff are continuing to record the butterflies we see during our lockdown walks and wonder whether, between all our Naturetrek guests on such walks countrywide, we might collectively record all of Britain’s 60-odd regular breeding species! With this in mind, please do let us know what you see by emailing us, or posting on social media! Here is our staff list so far, which we started in April.

1. Swallowtail
2. Dingy Skipper 
3. Grizzled Skipper 
4. Essex Skipper 
5. Silver-spotted Skipper
6. Small Skipper
7. Large Skipper
8. Wood White
9. Orange-tip
10. Large White
11. Small White
12. Green-veined White
13. Clouded Yellow
14. Brimstone
15. Wall
16. Speckled Wood
17. Small Heath
18. Ringlet
19. Meadow Brown
20. Gatekepper
21. Marbled White
22. Grayling
23. Pearl-bordered Fritillary
24. Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
25. Silver-washed Fritillary
26. Dark Green Fritillary
27. High Brown Fritillary
28. White Admiral
29. Purple Emperor
30. Red Admiral
31. Painted Lady
32. Peacock
33. Small Tortoiseshell
34. Large Tortoiseshell
35. Comma
36. Marsh Fritillary
37. Duke of Burgundy
38. Small Copper
39. Brown Hairstreak
40. Purple Hairstreak
41. Green Hairstreak
42. White-letter Hairstreak
43. Small Blue
44. Holly Blue
45. Large Blue
46. Silver-studded Blue
47. Brown Argus
48. Common Blue
49. Adonis Blue
50. Chalk Hill Blue

Emperor Moth

Operations Assistant Dan Lay set up a pheromone lure next to his window and managed to attract this stunning Emperor Moth, which flew inside his office while he was working from home! Fortunately he had a macro lens to hand to take some quick photos before releasing it to a safe and dry spot outside.

Burnished Brass and Golden Hoverfly

Dan also photographed two more striking species: a Burnished Brass moth and Golden Horsefly!