First sightings 2012 & previous

Breadcrumbs

Chequered Skipper - Photograph by Jim AsherThis table lists the earliest sightings of resident and regular migrant butterfly species in 2011 reported to Butterfly Conservation HQ and Nick Bowles.

These first sightings are gathered as the butterfly season progresses so as to provide up-to-date information about species emergence. They are not reviewed retrospectively by reference to transect data or distribution records and therefore represent what we believed to be the first report of a species at the time rather than a comprehensive analysis of the actual first dates recorded in a particular year.

First sightings for previous years (2002-2010) can be viewed here as a .pdf file.

Last update: 12 October, 2011

Vernacular nameScientific nameDateLocation
Chequered SkipperCarterocephalus palaemon4 MayArgyll
Small SkipperThymelicus sylvestris2 JuneCambridgeshire & Isle of Wight
Essex SkipperThymelicus lineola3 JuneNorfolk
Lulworth SkipperThymelicus acteon28 AprilDorset
Silver-spotted SkipperHesperia comma14 JulyOxfordshire
Large SkipperOchlodes sylvanus1 MayIsle of Wight
Dingy SkipperErynnis tages7 AprilKent
Grizzled SkipperPyrgus malvae2 AprilSussex
SwallowtailPapilio machaon29 AprilNorfolk
Wood WhiteLeptidea sinapis18 AprilShropshire & Sussex
Cryptic Wood WhiteLeptidea juvernica20 AprilCo. Armagh
Clouded YellowColias croceus26 MarchDevon
BrimstoneGonepteryx rhamni8 JanWiltshire
Large WhitePieris brassicae11 MarchHampshire
Small WhitePieris rapae6 MarchBerkshire
Green-veined WhitePieris napi12 MarchHertfordshire
Orange-tipAnthocharis cardamines22 MarchDevon & Yorkshire
Green HairstreakCallophrys rubi29 MarchLeicestershire
Brown HairstreakThecla betulae11 JulyBuckinghamshire
Purple HairstreakFavonius quercus11 MayMiddlesex
White-letter HairstreakSatyrium w-album30 MayMiddlesex
Black HairstreakSatyrium pruni24 MayBuckinghamshire
Small CopperLycaena phlaeas20 MarchDevon
Small BlueCupido minimus21 AprilDorset, Isle of Wight & Kent
Silver-studded BluePlebejus argus15 MayCornwall
Brown ArgusAricia agestis18 AprilIsle of Wight
Northern Brown ArgusAricia artaxerxes28 MayYorkshire
Common BluePolyommatus icarus18 AprilDevon
Chalkhill BluePolyommatus coridon24 JuneCambridgeshire
Adonis BluePolyommatus bellargus26 AprilDorset & Isle of Wight
Holly BlueCelastrina argiolus17 MarchCornwall
Large BluePhengaris arion31 MaySomerset
Duke of BurgundyHamearis lucina3 AprilKent
White AdmiralLimenitis camilla31 MayDorset
Purple EmperorApatura iris13 JuneSurrey
Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta1 JanCornwall
Painted LadyVanessa cardui20 JanCornwall
Small TortoiseshellAglais urticae18 JanCornwall, Dorset & Yorkshire
PeacockAglais io9 JanIsles of Scilly
CommaPolygonia c-album19 JanYorkshire
Small Pearl-bordered FritillaryBoloria selene22 AprilDevon
Pearl-bordered FritillaryBoloria euphrosyne9 AprilCornwall & Devon
High Brown FritillaryArgynnis adippe19 MayDevon
Dark Green FritillaryArgynnis aglaja19 MayDerbyshire
Silver-washed FritillaryArgynnis paphia3 JuneHampshire
Marsh FritillaryEuphydryas aurinia22 AprilDorset
Glanville FritillaryMelitaea cinxia22 AprilIsle of Wight
Heath FritillaryMelitaea athalia6 MayDevon
Speckled WoodPararge aegeria13 FebIsles of Scilly
Wall BrownLasiommata megera25 MarchPowys
Mountain RingletErebia epiphron3 JuneCumbria
Scotch ArgusErebia aethiops19 JulyCumbria
Marbled WhiteMelanargia galathea31 MaySomerset
GraylingHipparchia semele21 MayHampshire
GatekeeperPyronia tithonus13 MayEssex
Meadow BrownManiola jurtina19 MaySussex
RingletAphantopus hyperantus25 MayHampshire
Small HeathCoenonympha pamphilus18 AprilCo. Down
Large HeathCoenonympha tullia19 MayCeredigion