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You are here: Home / Blog posts / Nature / The ultimate list of butterfly species to spot in the UK

The ultimate list of butterfly species to spot in the UK

August 12, 2022 Filed Under: Nature, Blog posts

meadow brown butterfly species on ragwort flower plant

Normally I reserve list posts for my other blog, but this list is much more fitting for Enviroline Blog! I would love to spot all the butterfly species in the UK and get a good photo of each of them. It will definitely take some travelling to be able to spot all the butterflies in the UK, but I look forward to that. Someone who watches birds is called a twitcher, but someone who watches/studies butterflies and moths are called a lepidopterist. I guess that is what I am! As I see more butterfly species, I will add more of my own photographs.

I have recently become a member of the butterfly conservation organisation. If you love butterflies, I definitely recommend this. They sent me a newsletter of the best spots in my county to see butterflies, including the specific species.

How many butterfly species are there?

In the UK, there are 59 species of butterfly in total, along with around 2500 moth species! So far this year, I have managed to spot 19 species, 22 in total (butterfly). There are so many butterfly species to spot in August, so I am hoping to add a couple more to my list.

1. Adonis Blue

Spotted at Durlston Country Park, Dorset

2. Black Hairstreak

3. Brimstone

Spotted at lots of different places

4. Brown Argus

5. Brown Hairstreak

6. Chalk Hill Blue

Crickley Hill, Gloucestershire
Crickley Hill, Gloucestershire

7. Chequered Skipper

8. Clouded Yellow

9. Comma

Comma butterfly species
Stour Valley Kingfisher Nature Reserve, Bournemouth

10. Common Blue

Rough Bank butterfly reserve, Gloucestershire

11. Cryptic Wood White

12. Dark Green Fritillary

Crickley Hill, Gloucestershire

13. Dingy Skipper

Durlston Country Park, Dorset

14. Duke of Burgandy

15. Essex Skipper

16. Gatekeeper

Along a hedgerow, Ringwood

17. Glanville Fritillary

18. Grayling

19. Green Hairstreak

20. Green-veined White

Spotted at Coombe Hill, Gloucestershire

21. Grizzled Skipper

22. Heath Fritillary

23. High Brown Fritillary

24. Holly Blue

Redhill Park, Winton
Slades Park, Winton

25. Large Blue

26. Large Heath

27. Large Skipper

Rough Bank, Gloucestershire
Slades Park, Winton

28. Large White

large white butterfly species
Leckhampton, Gloucestershire

29. Lulworth Skipper

30. Marbled White

Lineover, Gloucestershire

31. Marsh Fritillary

32. Meadow Brown

Stour Valley Nature Reserve and Kingfisher Barn, Bournemouth

33. Mountain Ringlet

34. Northern Brown Argus

35. Orange-tip

Spotted at Lotts Meadow, Gloucestershire

36. Painted Lady

Leckhampton, Gloucestershire

37. Peacock

Stour Valley Nature Reserve and Kingfisher Barn, Bournemouth

38. Pearl-boarded Fritillary

39. Purple Emperor

40. Purple Hairstreak

41. Red Admiral

Four Acre Farm, Ringwood

42. Ringlet

Rough Bank, Gloucestershire

43. Scotch Argus

44. Silver-spotted Skipper

45. Silver-studded Blue

46. Silver-washed Fritillary

Lineover, Gloucestershire

47. Small Blue

Durlston Country Park, Dorset

48. Small Copper

Durlston Country Park, Dorset

49. Small Heath

50. Small Pearl-boarded Fritillary

51. Small Skipper

Lineover, Gloucestershire

52. Small Tortoiseshell

Four Acre Farm, Ringwood

53. Small White

Four Acre Farm, Ringwood

54. Speckled Wood

Slades Park, WInton

55. Swallowtail

56. Wall

57. White Admiral

58. White-letter Hairstreak

59. Wood White

And there we have it, all 59 butterfly species to spot in the UK! I haven’t got a good photograph of all of the butterflies that I have seen, but once I do they will be added.

Which butterfly species have you seen? Which do you hope to see?

Best wishes, Cx

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About Caroline

Welcome to Enviroline Blog 💗
I blog to raise awareness about the environment and mental health - specifically eating disorder recovery.
I upload every Sunday and some Wednesdays.

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Comments

  1. Her Digital Coffee says

    August 12, 2022 at 6:53 pm

    What beautiful captures! I had no idea that someone who studies/watches butterflies is called a lepidopterist! There are so many beautiful species and I’m captivated by the common blue and dingy skipper. Good luck on spotting more this August!

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      August 19, 2022 at 10:32 am

      They are so beautiful, thank you!

      Reply
  2. ellegracedeveson says

    August 12, 2022 at 7:06 pm

    WOW! You’ve managed to see so many amazing, beautiful species – that’s incredible. Since reading your post, I always keep my eyes peeled for butterflies when I go outside, I throughly enjoy looking at their beautiful colours, it just has a way of making you feel happy! Thank you so much for sharing this with us lovely, I cannot wait to see how many more you see! Xo

    Elle – ellegracedeveson.com

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      August 19, 2022 at 10:32 am

      Thank you! I hope you spot some x

      Reply
  3. According to Chren says

    August 12, 2022 at 7:25 pm

    Wow, we had no idea there were that many species in the UK alone!

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      August 19, 2022 at 10:36 am

      Yes 🙂

      Reply
  4. Jamieadstories says

    August 12, 2022 at 10:10 pm

    I have seen white admirals but generally I have seen fewer this year than usual.

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      August 19, 2022 at 10:36 am

      Oh wow!

      Reply
  5. Jodie says

    August 13, 2022 at 1:19 am

    I love butterflies and therefore this post! I’ve never spotted blue butterflies here in Western Canada but they look so beautiful! I’m going to see if we have a Butterfly Conservation here and see if they can provide me with a list to watch for too! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      August 19, 2022 at 10:41 am

      Aw, I hope they do!

      Reply
  6. Charity says

    August 14, 2022 at 12:48 am

    Oh these are such beautiful butterflies! Thanks for sharing your list of them

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      August 19, 2022 at 10:41 am

      Thank you Charity x

      Reply
  7. Wendy says

    August 14, 2022 at 4:02 am

    Congratulations on becoming a member of the butterfly conservation. These photos are gorgeous. I love butterflys

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      August 19, 2022 at 10:41 am

      Thank you 🙂

      Reply
  8. readandreviewit says

    August 14, 2022 at 12:18 pm

    Ooh I love this! I had no idea there were 59 butterfly species in the UK alone, that’s a lot! They’re all so beautiful but I really love the different blue ones in particular – they’re gorgeous. Thank you so much for sharing x

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      August 19, 2022 at 10:42 am

      Me too 🙂 x

      Reply
  9. Karalee says

    August 15, 2022 at 8:42 am

    Oh wow that’s amazing there are so many different species of butterflies in the UK, and I love all the photos you shared of the ones you’ve seen.

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      August 19, 2022 at 10:46 am

      Thank you Karalee x

      Reply

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Welcome to Enviroline Blog. I’m Caroline and I am currently in my second year at Bournemouth University studying Environmental Science.

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