UKButterflies Larval Foodplants website page lists the larval foodplants used by British butterflies. The name of each foodplant links to a Google search. An indication of whether the foodplant is a primary or secondary food source is also given.
Please note that the Butterfly you see for only a short time has grown up on plants as an egg, caterpillar and chrysalis for up to 11 months, before becoming a butterfly. If the plants that they live on during that time are removed, or sprayed with herbicide, then you will not see the butterfly.
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Butterfly Name
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Egg/ Caterpillar/ Chrysalis/ Butterfly
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Plant Name
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Plant Usage
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Plant Usage Months
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Adonis Blue
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Egg
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Horseshoe vetch
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1 egg under leaf.
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1
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Adonis Blue
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Caterpillar
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Horseshoe vetch
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Eats leaves.
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June-March or September to July
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Adonis Blue
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Chrysalis
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Leaf litter
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---
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3 weeks
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Adonis Blue
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Butterfly
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Vetches, Trefoils, Clovers and Marjoram
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Eats nectar.
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1 Month
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Berger's Clouded Yellow
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Horseshoe vetch
Clover and
Lucerne
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1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
---
Eats nectar.
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8-10 days in Late May-June or Middle August-September
June-July or September to October
8-15 days
1 Month in May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November
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Brimstone
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Buckthorn,
Alder Buckthorn
Wild flowers and purple flowers such as
Thistles and Greater Knapweed.
Ivy
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1 egg under leaf.
Eats leaves.
---
Eats nectar.
Hibernates during winter
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10 days in
May-June
28 days.
12 days.
12 months.
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Brown Argus
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Rock-rose or Storksbilll
Leaf Litter
Rock-rose or Storksbilll
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1 egg under leaf.
Eats leaves.
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Eats nectar.
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May and June and those of the second generation in July to September for 6 days.
28 to 33 days. Second generation hibernates from September-March on the under surface of the leaf.
21 days.
5 weeks.
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Chalk-Hill Blue
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Horseshoe vetch
Birdsfoot Trefoil
Kidney Vetch
Leaf litter
Vetches, Trefoils, Clovers and Marjoram
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1 egg at base of plant.
Eats leaves.
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Eats nectar.
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Late August-April
April-June
1 Month
20 days
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Clouded Yellow
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Clover,
Lucerne
Trefoils,
Melilot.
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Clover,
Lucerne
Thistles,
Greater Knapweed,
Marjoram,
Aubretia and
Marigolds in gardens
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1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
Eats nectar.
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6 days in
May-June.
Pupates in
30 days.
18 days in July-August.
May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November
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Comma
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Hop
Red Currant
Black Currant
Gooseberry
Stinging Nettle
Bramble
Creeping Thistle, Dwarf Thistle, Marsh Thistle, Meadow Thistle, Melancholy Thistle, Milk Thistle,
Musk Thistle, Seaside Thistle, Scotch Thistle, Spear Thistle, Tuberous Thistle, Welted Thistle, Woolly Thistle Greater Knapweed
Hemp agrimony in the wild
and
Asters,
Buddleias and
Michaelmas Daisies in urban gardens.
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Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf.
Eats leaves.
---
Eats nectar.
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April. 17 days
47 days.
10 days.
July-October
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Common Blue
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Birdsfoot Trefoil, Clovers,
Black Medic, Vetches and Restharrow
.
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Fleabanes, Marjoram and Thymes
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Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf.
Eats buds and flowers.
Base of food plant.
Eats nectar.
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Spend winter at the base of the food plant. They resume feeding in March.
2 weeks
3 weeks between May and September
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Dark Green Fritillary
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Dog Violet,
Violets
Thistles - usually taller ones
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1 egg on underside of leaf or on stalk.
Hibernates where it hatches.
Eats leaves.
Base of food plant.
Eats nectar
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July-August for 17 days.
Spends winter on plant until end of March. Eats leaves until end of May.
4 weeks.
July-August for 6 weeks
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Glanville Fritillary
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Ribwort Plantain,
Sea Plantain
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Vetches,
Trefoils
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Eggs laid in
batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on
leaves until middle of August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats leaves until April-May.
---
Eats nectar
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Hatches after 16 days in June.
June-April
25 days in April-May.
June-July
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Green-veined White
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Charlock,
Cuckoo Flower,
Hedge-Mustard,
Garlic-Mustard,
Yellow Rocket,
Watercress
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Wild Cabbage family
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1 egg on underside of leaf.
Eats leaves.
---
Eats Nectar
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July or August; hatches in 3 days
16 days
14 days in July or for caterpillars of August, they overwinter till May.
A Month during May-June or second flight in late July-August
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Heath Fritillary
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Cow-Wheat,
Narrow-leaved Plantain
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Cow-Wheat,
Bugle,
Germander Speedwell,
Wood Sage,
Ragged Robin, Narrow-leaved Plantain
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Eggs laid in
batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on leaves until end of August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats young leaves until June.
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Eats nectar
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Hatches after 16 days in June.
June-April
25 days in June.
June-July
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High Brown Fritillary
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Common Dog Violet,
Hairy Violet,
Heath Dog-violet
Pale Dog violet
Sweet Violet
Thistles
Bramble
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1 egg on stem or stalk near plant base.
Feed on young leaves, stalks and stems
---
Eats nectar
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July to hatch in 8 months in March.
9 weeks pupating in May
4 weeks
June-August
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Holly Blue
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Holly
Ivy
Dogwood
Spindle-tree
Gorse
Buckthorn
Snowberry
Bramble
Lilac,
Bluebell
Dandelion
Oak
Birch
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1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk.
Eats flower bud.
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Eats nectar
and sap exuding from trunks.
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7 days.
28-42 days.
18 days. Early September to Late April for second generation.
April-Mid June and Mid July-Early September for second generation.
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Large Skipper
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Cocksfoot grass False Brome grass
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Wild flowers
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1 egg under leaf.
Eats leaves.
---
Eats nectar
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11 Months
3 weeks from May
June-August
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Large Tortoiseshell
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Elm,
Wych Elm,
Willow,
Sallow,
Aspen,
Poplar,
Whitebeam,
Cherry
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Tree sap and damaged ripe fruit, which are high in sugar
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Eggs laid in
batches encircling the branch of the food plant.
Feeds on leaves.
Hangs suspended from stem. Hibernates inside hollow trees or outhouses until March. Eats sap or fruit juice until April.
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Hatches after 18-22 days in April.
30 days in May
9 days in June.
10 months in June-April
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Large White
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Cabbages
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Cabbages,
Beans,
Clover and
Lucerne
Garden Nasturtiums,
Mignonettes
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40-100 eggs
on both surfaces of leaf.
Eats leaves.
---
Eats nectar
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May-June and August-Early September. 4.5-17 days.
30-32 days
14 days for May-June eggs, or overwinter till April
April-June or July-September
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Marsh Fritillary
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Devilsbit Scabious, Plantains, Foxglove,
Wood Sage, Honeysuckle
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Yellow flowers such as Dandelion, Birds-Foot-Trefoil, Hawkbit
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Eggs laid in
batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on leaves until middle of August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats leaves until May.
---
Eats nectar
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Hatches after 20 days in July.
July-May
15 days in May.
30 days in May-June
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Orange Tip
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Garlic Mustard,
Cuckoo Flower,
Yellow Rocket,
Hedge Mustard,
Ladies Smock,
Charlock,
Creeping Yellow-cress,
Large Bittercress,
Wild Turnip,
Rock-cress,
Horseradish,
Dame's Violet,
Watercress,
Honesty (Lunaria biennis)
Hedge Parsley
Garlic Mustard and other wild flowers - mostly from Cabbage family
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1 egg laid in the tight buds and flowers.
Eats leaves, buds, flowers and especially the seed pods.
---
Eats nectar
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May-June 7 days.
June-July 24 days.
August-May
May-June for 18 days.
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Painted Lady
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Thistles
Mallows
Burdocks
Stinging Nettle
Vipers Bugloss
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Wild flowers like
Clover,
Lucerne,
Thistles,
Scabious,
Charlock and
Ivy
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1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
---
Eats nectar
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2 weeks in June.
7-11days
7-11 days
July-October
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Pale Clouded Yellow
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Clover,
Lucerne.
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Clover,
Lucerne
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1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
Eats nectar.
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10 days in May-June.
Pupates in July-August.
17 days in August-September.
May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November
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Peacock
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Stinging Nettle.
Thistles,
Greater Knapweed,
Scabious,
Clover,
Buddleias,
Sedum,
Rotten fruit
Fruit tree blossom in Spring
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Dense mass of 450-500 eggs
on the under side of leaves over a 2 hour period.
Eats leaves, and moves to another plant before pupating.
---
From July-September, eats the nectar or juice from rotten fruit, then
Eats nectar in April-May
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14 days in
April-May.
28 days.
13 days.
July-May
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Pearl-bordered Fritillary
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Dog Violet
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Bluebell,
Bugles,
Violets and Primroses.
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1 egg on leaf or stem.
Feeds on leaves
until July. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats young leaves until May.
---
Eats nectar
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Hatches after 15 days in May-June.
July-May
9 days in June.
June.
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Queen of Spain Fritillary
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Heartsease,
Borage,
Sainfoin
Mountain pansy,
Seaside Pansy,
Field Pansy and Culivated Pansy.
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Clover,
Heartease,
Thistles and
Wild Flowers
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1 egg laid under the leaf or on top of the flower.
Eats leaves, then before pupating it eats the bloom and leaves of the pansies.
---
Eats nectar
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7 days in August.
23 days in August-September
3 weeks in September
May-September
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Silver-washed Fritillary
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Pine,
Oak.
Dog violet
Rock or Twig
Bramble,
Thistles,
Teasels,
Wild Flowers
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1 egg on tree trunk
Hibernates in a crevice in the
bark of the tree trunk.
Eats leaves
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Eats nectar
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15 days in July.
August-March.
March-May.
Late June-July
7 weeks in July-August.
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Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Dog Violet,
Garden Pansy
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Thistles,
Bluebell,
Bugles,
Violets and Primroses.
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1 egg on leaf or stem.
Feeds on leaves until July. Hibernates on dead
leaves until March. Eats young leaves until April.
---
Eats nectar
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Hatches after 10 days in May-June.
June-April
April- June.
June-August
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Small White
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Cabbages,
Garden Nasturtiums,
Mignonettes
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Cabbages,
Beans,
Clover and
Lucerne
Garden Nasturtiums,
Mignonettes
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1 egg on underside of leaf.
Eats leaves.
---
Eats nectar
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May-June and August. 7 days.
28 days
21 days for May-June eggs, or overwinter
till March
March-May or June-September
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Swallowtail
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Milk Parsley
Hogs's Fennel
Wild Angelica
Thistles
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1 egg on leaf. 5 or 6 eggs may be deposited by separate females on one leaf.
Eats leaves, and moves to stems of sedges or other fen plants before pupating.
---
Eats nectar
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14 days in July-August
August-September
September-May
May-July
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Wood White
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Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly
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Bitter vetch,
Birds-foot-trefoil,
Vetchs,
Tufted Vetch,
Fyfield Pea,
Cuckoo Flower,
Bitter Vetch,
Birds-foot-trefoil,
Bugle,
Ragged Robin
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1 egg laid on underside of leaflets or bracts.
Eats leaves.
---
Eats nectar.
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7 days in June
32 days in
June-July.
July-May.
May-June
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Links to the other Butterflies:-
Black Hairstreak
Brown Hairstreak
Camberwell Beauty
Chequered Skipper
Dingy Skipper
Duke of Burgundy
Essex Skipper
Gatekeeper
Grayling
Green Hairstreak
Grizzled Skipper
Hedge Brown
Large Blue
Large Heath
Long-tailed Blue
Lulworth Skipper
Marbled White
Mazarine Blue
Meadow Brown
Monarch
Northern Brown Argus
Purple Emperor
Purple Hairstreak
Red Admiral
Ringlet
Scotch Argus
Short-tailed Blue
Silver-spotted Skipper
Silver-studded Blue
Small Copper
Small Heath
Small Mountain Ringlet
Small Skipper
Small Tortoiseshell
Speckled Wood
Wall Brown
White Admiral
White-letter Hairstreak
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Site design and content copyright ©April 2008. Page structure amended November 2012. Menus amended July 2015 and November 2015. Chris Garnons-Williams.
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