Butterflies you may see on the Reserve

Here is a list of butterflies you may see on the Reserve. The list was actually created for the Nickey Line volunteers by Richard Harrington from the Rothamsted Institute, but he expects that the species will be similar to those on the Reserve.

BUTTERFLIES OF THE NICKEY LINE

CAST IN (VERY APPROXIMATE) ORDER OF APPEARANCE

Picture	Species	Flight time	Broods	Larval host plant	Winter stage
	Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni (Pieridae)	Feb – Nov (peaks Apr, Aug)	1	Buckthorn Alder- buckthorn	Adult
	Peacock Inachis io (Nymphalidae)	Mar – Oct (peak Aug)	1	Common nettle	Adult
	Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae (Nymphalidae)	Mar – Oct (peak Aug)	2	Common nettle	Adult
	Comma Polygonia c-album (Nymphalidae)	Mar – Nov (peaks Jul, Aug)	2	Currents Elms Hop Nettle Willows	Adult
	Holly blue Celastrina argiolus (Nymphalidae)	Apr – Oct (peaks May, Aug)	2	Holly (spring) Ivy (summer)	Pupa
	Speckled wood Pararge aegeria (Satyridae)	Apr – Oct (peak Aug)	3	Cock’s-foot False-brome Yorkshire-fog	Larva Pupa
	Small white Pieris rapae (Pieridae)	Apr – Sep (peak Jul)	2	Brassicas	Pupa
	Green-veined white Pieris napi (Pieridae)	Apr – Oct (peak Aug)	2-3	Charlock Cuckoo- flower Garlic-mustard	Pupa

Picture	Species	Flight time	Broods	Host plant	Winter stage
	Large white Pieris brassicae (Pieridae)	Apr – Oct (peak Aug)	2	Brassicas	Pupa
	Orange tip Anthocharis cardamines (Pieridae)	Apr – Jun (peak May)	1	Cuckoo-flower Garlic-mustard Cruciferae	Pupa
	Common blue Polyommatus icarus (Lycaenidae)	May – Oct (peaks Jun, Aug)	2	Bird’s-foot-trefoil (Ant-attended)	Larva
	Small copper Lycaena phlaeas (Lycaenidae)	May – Oct (peak Aug)	2-3	Common-sorrel Sheep’s-sorrel	Larva
	Painted lady Cynthia cardui (Nymphalidae)	May – Oct (peak Aug)	Multiple	Thistles	Adult (Not in Britain)
	Meadow brown Maniola jurtina (Satyridae)	(Jun – Sep) (peak Jul)	1	Bents Meadow-grasses	Larva
	Large skipper Ochlodes venata (Hesperiidae)	Jun – Aug (peak Jul)	1	Cock’s-foot False-brome	Larva
	Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus (Satyridae)	Jun – Aug (peak Jul)	1	Cock’s-foot Common-couch etc.	Larva

Picture	Species	Flight time	Broods	Host plant	Winter stage
	Marbled white Melanargia galathea (Satyridae)	Jun – Aug (peak Jul)	1	Red fescue Sheep’s- fescue	Larva
	Small skipper Thymelicus sylvestris (Hesperiidae)	Jun – Aug (peak Jul)	1	Yorkshire-fog Creeping-softgrass Timothy	Larva
	Essex skipper Thymelicus lineola (Hesperiidae)	Jun – Aug (peak Jul)	1	Cock’s-foot Common-couch Creeping-softgrass Timothy	Egg
	Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus (Satyridae)	Jun – Sep (peak Aug)	1	Bents Fescues	Larva
	Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Nymphalidae)	Jan – Dec (peak Sep)	Multiple	Common nettle	Adult (Not in Britain?)
	Clouded yellow Colias croceus (Pieridae)	Occasional migrant Jun – Oct (peak Sep)	Multiple	Clover	Adult (Not in Britain)