Bright Wingers

Brian Pike reports on butterflies to look out for this summer

With their vivid colours and flickering flight, butterflies are one of summer’s highlights. Like many insects their population numbers are, sadly, at an all-time low. Fortunately there are still plenty of interesting species to be seen here in the Dales. Here are seven of my favourites.

Brimstone

Many butterflies are only seen on the wing during the summer months, but the vibrant lemon-yellow brimstone butterfly overwinters as an adult and can potentially be spotted at any time of year – even in the middle of winter, if the day is tolerably warm.

You’ll never find brimstone butterflies gathered together in large numbers, just the odd one or two. However, the species is widespread in England and Wales, and in recent years brimstones have been popping up increasingly frequently in the Dales.

Their caterpillars feed on the leaves of two rather dull-looking shrubs, buckthorn and alder buckthorn, both of which are found in damp woodland – a good place to catch a glimpse of the adults on a sunny afternoon.

Peacock

If you’ve ever cursed nettles – and there can’t be many gardeners who haven’t – take comfort from the fact that they provide food for the larvae of one of our most attractive and easily recognisable butterflies.

The four ‘eyes’ on the peacock butterfly’s wings are a defence mechanism that startles insect-eating birds when the butterfly’s wings are flicked open – they resemble the eyes of a hungry hawk, owl or fox that’s getting too close for comfort.

The peacock has another intriguing selfdefence strategy too: when disturbed it can rub sections of its wings together to produce a sudden hissing sound. Experiments have demonstrated that this deters mice and other small mammals that attempt to snack on the butterfly while it is trying to hibernate.

Comma

Whereas the peacock butterfly takes a proactive attitude towards self-defence, the comma butterfly adopts a rather more passive approach.

Like peacock butterfly caterpillars, comma caterpillars feed on nettles but are rather more adventurous in their tastes, extending their diet to include willows, currants and (in the south of England) hops. The adults can be seen searching for nectar in gardens and forest glades, and along woodland edges and hedgerow-lined country lanes.

Red Admiral

It might suggest a nautical connection but the red admiral’s name is actually the result of fumbled pronunciation. It was originally called the ‘red admirable’ in honour of its smart good looks; a few generations-worth of mumbling have turned ‘admirable’ into ‘admiral’.

Like the peacock and the comma, the red admiral’s caterpillars are fond of nettles. The adults are frequent garden visitors and, like peacocks, are often seen on buddleja.

The red admiral occasionally overwinters here, but most migrate from southern Europe in May or June to mate and lay eggs. A new generation of adults emerges three weeks later, and in a mild autumn can be seen on the wing well into December.

Painted Lady

Like the red admiral, the painted lady migrates to the British Isles in early summer. But whereas red admirals are regular visitors, painted lady butterflies – which travel from Africa – are highly erratic. Some years they don’t migrate at all, other years they set forth in their millions, with some individuals even venturing as far north as Iceland.

OPPOSITE Comma

TOP Red admiral

BOTTOM LEFT Painted lady

BOTTOM RIGHT Peacock

As you would expect from the distance they cover, painted ladies are strong fliers. They can reach speeds of up to 30mph and travel up to a hundred miles in a day.

The ones that arrive here are partial to feeding on the nectar in thistles. Thistles are also a favourite choice for them to lay their eggs on.

Speckled Wood

As the name suggests, this neat little butterfly favours dense woodland habitats, but it will also visit shady gardens or parks, especially where there are stands of tall grass.

Its colouration varies depending on where it lives. In the northern part of its range, including the British Isles, individuals are dark brown with creamy white markings; the closer to southern France you go, the more the spots become orange rather than white.

The speckled wood butterfly’s caterpillars feed on a variety of native grasses, including cocksfoot, Yorkshire fog and couch grass.

Purple Hairstreak

Finally here’s a fascinating rarity: the purple hairstreak butterfly. The species, notable for its glossy purple sheen, can be seen here in the North, but is probably under-reported because of its reclusive habits.

The purple hairstreak spends almost all of its life high up in the crowns of mature oak trees. The adults feed mainly on the honeydew produced by aphids, only occasionally visiting flowers. The females lay their eggs at the base of oak leaf buds.

Butterfly spotters keen to see the purple hairstreak usually equip themselves with a pair of binoculars. Although you may not be able to see any fine detail, if you do happen to observe butterflies flitting around the top of an oak tree they’re almost certainly purple hairstreaks!

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