Butterfly and Moth Species Found in Cumbria

Forty-one butterfly species are found in Cumbria. Some are common, others not so common and a few others are relatively rare migrants seen only in 'good' years.

The table below lists the Cumbrian butterflies with access to a brief description, a photograph and suggested localities to see them.

The Flight times are drawn from butterfly behaviour in Cumbria using data held by the Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre at Tullie House.

Butterfly Name Scientific Name UK BAP Status
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni Low
Brown Argus Aricia agestis Not Listed
Camberwell Beauty Nymphalis antiopa Not Listed
Clouded Yellow Collas croceus Low
Comma Polygonia c-album Low
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus Low
Dark Green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja High
Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages High
Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina High
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus Low
Grayling Hipparchia semele High
Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi Low
Green-veined White Pieris napi Low
High Brown Fritillary Argynnis adippe High
Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus Low
Large Heath Coenonympha tullia High
Large Skipper Ochlodes venata Low
Large White Pieris brassicae Low
Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia High
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina Low
Monarch Danaus plexippus Not Assessed
Mountain Ringlet Erebia epiphron High
Northern Brown Argus Plebeius artaxerxes High
Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines Low
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui Low
Peacock Inachis io Low
Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne High
Purple Hairstreak Neozephyrus quercus Low
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta Low
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperanthus Low
Scotch Argus Erebia aethiops Low
Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia Low
Small Blue Cupido minimus High
Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas Low
Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus High
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria selene Medium
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris Low
Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae Low
Small White Pieris rapae Low
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria Low
Wall Brown Iasiommata megera High
White-letter Hairstreak Satyrium w-album High

Species Total Sightings Count Tables

Butterfly Name Sightings Count
Small Tortoiseshell 3517
Red Admiral 3427
Speckled Wood 2828
Peacock 2768
Green-veined White 2231
Meadow Brown 2041
Small White 1846
Orange-tip 1747
Large White 1467
Painted Lady 1443
Small Heath 1364
Common Blue 1344
Comma 1329
Ringlet 1207
Small Skipper 992
Brimstone 926
Wall Brown 819
Large Skipper 758
Small Copper 739
Dark Green Fritillary 686
Holly Blue 623
Gatekeeper 584
Dingy Skipper 459
Grayling 427
Northern Brown Argus 402
Green Hairstreak 375
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary 340
Scotch Argus 272
Small Blue 255
Silver-washed Fritillary 244
Mountain Ringlet 230
High Brown Fritillary 206
Large Heath 203
Purple Hairstreak 162
White-letter Hairstreak 155
Pearl-bordered Fritillary 90
Marsh Fritillary 58
Duke of Burgundy 35
Brown Hairstreak 27
Clouded Yellow 25
Brown Argus 2

Total number of butterfly species: 41. Number of sightings: 38653.

Moth Name Sightings Count
Silver Y 829
Chimney Sweeper 338
Cinnabar 234
Six-spot Burnet 218
Hummingbird Hawk-moth 175
Common Carpet 132
Speckled Yellow 108
Brown Silver-line 102
Common Heath 97
Shaded Broad-bar 97
Burnet Companion 95
Mother Shipton 89
Silver-ground Carpet 79
Yellow Shell 74
Large Yellow Underwing 67
Straw Dot 47
Narrow-bordered 5-spot Burnet 40
Brown China-mark 34
Latticed Heath 33
Anania Funebris 32
Emperor Moth 32
Clouded Buff 31
Drinker 30
Udea lutealis 30
Brimstone Moth 27
Magpie 27
Antler Moth 27
Clouded Border 27
Angle Shades 22
Fox Moth 20
Elephant Hawk-moth 19
Green Carpet 19
Garden Carpet 18
Winter Moth 18
Nemophora degeerella 17
Pyrausta purpuralis 16
Silver Hook 16
Ruby Tiger 16
Evergestis pallidata 14
Nettle-tap Moth 14
Mother of Pearl 13
Spring Usher 13
Common Marbled Carpet 13
Wood Tiger 12
Pyrausta aurata 12
Light Emerald 11
Micropterix aureatella 11
Northern Winter Moth 11
White Ermine 11
Mottled Umber 11
Common White Wave 11
Common Wave 10
Argyresthia goedartella 10
Purple Bar 10
Flame Carpet 10
Chrysoteuchia culmella 10
Bird-cherry Ermine 9
Treble-bar 9
Celypha lacunana 9
Esperia sulphurella 9
Common Plume 9
Grey Dagger 9
Twin-spot Carpet 8
Northern Eggar 8
Agriphila tristella 8
Pale-brindled Beauty 8
Torticoides alternella 8
Crambus pascuella 8
Lathronympha strigana 8
Agriphila straminella 8
Crambus lathoniellus 8
Scoparia pyralella 7
Small Fan-footed Wave 7
Yellow-tail 7
Grass Wave 7
Buff-tip 7
Catoptria margaritella 7
Four-dotted Footman 7
Diplodoma laichartingella 7
Micropterix calthella 6
Pink-barred Sallow 6
Dark Arches 6
Purple-bordered Gold 6
Oak Eggar 6
Cream Wave 6
Red-necked Footman 6
Clouded Magpie 6
Agapeta hamana 6
Small Magpie 6
July Highflyer 6
Garden Tiger 6
Knot Grass 6
Vapourer 6
Adela reamurella 6
Gold Spot 6
Gold Spangle 6
Burnished Brass 5
Triangle Plume 5
Cauchas fibulella 5
Spruce Carpet 5
Common Footman 5
Ancylis badiana 5
Red-green Carpet 5
Pyrausta despicata 5
Twenty-plume Moth 5
Argent and Sable 5
Small Phoenix 5
Snout 5
Alder Moth 5
Pyrausta ostrinalis 5
Phiaris palustrana 5
Diurnea fagella 5
Manchester Treble-bar 5
Light Brown Apple Moth 5
Lead Belle 5
Gold Swift 5
Galium Carpet 5
November Moth agg. 5
July Belle 5
Large Emerald 4
Mompha locupletella 4
Micropterix aruncella 4
Eucosma cana 4
Stenoptylia pterodactyla 4
Brindled Pug 4
Epinotia ramella 4
Scarce Umber 4
Pseudargyrotoza conwagana 4
Riband Wave 4
Pale Tussock 4
Apotomis turbidana 4
Eyed Hawk-moth 4
Red Underwing 4
Orange Underwing 4
Crambus perlella 4
Grapholita compositella 4
Northern Spinach 4
Acleris emargana 3
Mullein 3
Pyrausta cingulata 3
Small China-mark 3
Clouded Silver 3
Streamer 2
Yellow-barred Brindle 2
Agapeta zoegana 2
Elachista argentella 2
Common Wainscot 2
Phiaris schulziana 2
Small Elephant Hawk-moth 2
Narrow-winged Pug 2
Marbled White Spot 2
Smoky Wave 2
Eucosma aspidiscana 1
Tissue 1
Bee moth 1
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 1
Reddish Light Arches 1
Caloptilia stigmatella 1
Red Sword-grass 1
Grapholita jungiella 1
Small purple-barred 1
Pale-shouldered Brocade 1
Small Dotted Buff 1
Blue-bordered Carpet 1

Total number of moth species: 164. Number of sightings: 4057.