Butterfly Conservation
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Branch
Celebrating our 40th Anniversary!
1982 - 2022
Click Here to Join!

Butterflies

Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are fortunate in being home to 46 of the UK's 61 species of butterfly. Of these 43 are resident and 3 are regular visitors.

If you need help in identifying a butterfly click here.

If you are just seeking confirmation or more information on a species look in the table below.

The table includes all species on the Hampshire and Isle of Wight list. Further information on those currently resident or regular visitors can be found by clicking on the Common Name below. Please note that all photographs are copyright of the originators.

Common Name Scientific Name Status in Hants & IoW
Chequered Skipper Carterocephalus palaemon Extinct (Dubious C.19th?)
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris Resident
Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola Resident
Lulworth Skipper Thymelicus acteon Extinct/Introduction
Silver-spotted Skipper Hesperia comma Resident
Large Skipper Ochlodes sylvanus Resident
Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages Resident
Grizzled Skipper Pyrgus malvae Resident
Swallowtail Papilio machaon Rare immigrant
Scarce Swallowtail Iphiclides podalirius Rare immigrant/Escape
Wood White Leptidea sinapis Extinct
Pale Clouded Yellow Colias hyale Rare immigrant
Berger's Clouded Yellow Colias alfacariensis Rare immigrant
Clouded Yellow Colias croceus Immigrant/becoming established?
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni Resident
Cleopatra Gonepteryx cleopatra Rare immigrant (Dubious c. 19th century)
Black-veined White Aporia crataegi Extinct/Introduction
Large White Pieris brassicae Resident
Small White Pieris rapae Resident
Green-veined White Pieris napi Resident
Bath White Pontia daplidice Rare immigrant
Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines Resident
Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi Resident
Brown Hairstreak Thecla betulae Resident
Purple Hairstreak Neozephyrus quercus Resident
White-letter Hairstreak Satyrium w-album Resident
Black Hairstreak Satyrium pruni Introduction
Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas Resident
Large Copper Lycaena dispar Introduction
Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus Rare immigrant, possibly becoming established (recorded on transect in 2022)
Small Blue Cupido minimus Resident
Short-tailed Blue Everes argiades Rare immigrant
Silver-studded Blue Plebeius argus Resident
Brown Argus Plebeius agestis Resident
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus Resident
Chalkhill Blue Polyommatus coridon Resident
Adonis Blue Polyommatus bellargus Resident
Mazarine Blue Cyaniris semiargus Extinct
Green-underside Blue Glaucopsyche alexis Rare immigrant (Unconfirmed)
Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus Resident
Large Blue Maculinea arion Extinct
Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina Resident
White Admiral Limenitis camilla Resident
Purple Emperor Apatura iris Resident
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta Immigrant/Becoming established?
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui Immigrant
American Painted Lady Vanessa virginiensis Rare immigrant
Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae Resident
Large Tortoiseshell Nymphalis polychloros Extinct Resident/Becoming re-established
Camberwell Beauty Nymphalis antiopa Rare immigrant
Peacock Inachis io Resident
Comma Polygonia c-abum Resident
Map Araschnia levana Introduction/Escape
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria selene Resident
Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne Resident
Queen of Spain Fritillary Issoria lathonia Rare immigrant
Niobe Fritillary Argynnis niobe Introduction/Escape
High Brown Fritillary Argynnis adippe Extinct
Dark Green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja Resident
Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia Resident
Cardinal fritillary Argynnis pandora Introduction/Escape
Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia Resident
Glanville Fritillary Melitaea cinxia Resident
Heath Fritillary Mellicta athalia Extinct Resident?/Introduction
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria Resident
Wall Lasiommata megera Resident
Marbled White Melanargia galathea Resident
Grayling Hipparchia semele Resident
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus Resident
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina Resident
Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus Resident
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus Resident
Monarch Danaus plexippus Rare immigrant
Geranium Bronze Cacyreus marshalli Accidental introduction, with a handful of records across the two counties between 1999 and 2020

Further details of these butterflies can be found on the UK Butterflies website.