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.