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Butterflies in and around Alphington's Lanes

Wildlife in Alphington

By Rowena Jay

Whites and Yellows Family Pieridae

Small White (Pieris tapae). 46-54mm
A very common butterfly and the first generation can be seen from March until May and the second from June to September. The black markings on the forewings are much darker on the Summer generation. Their caterpillars are green with a yellow line.

Orange tip (Anthocharis cardamines). 33-48mm.
Can usually be seen along roadsides, ditches and rough pasture from early May and during June. There is one generation each year and every butterfly only lives for about 18 days. Only the male has orange tips on his wings, the female has black tips. The undersides of their wings are dappled green, which provides perfect camouflage when they settle on a plant and close their wings. Their caterpillars are green with black spots and white lines. They feed on Cuckoo flowers and other crucifers, they change into a chrysalis on or near the plant they have been feeding on.

Admirals Family Nymphalidae

Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urtica). 44-52mm
They obtained their name from their brightly speckled wings, the black specks vary greatly in pattern from one butterfly to another. They hibernate through the winter and appear again in March, this generation lay eggs that hatch in August and September. They can continue to be seen as late as October. Their caterpillars can be seen in groups, in webs on nettles, they are usually black on top and greenish below with several rows of spines.

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta). 56-68mm.
At one time this butterfly was called an "Alderman" because its wings resembled the robes and livery colouration of noblemen. Another name in the 18th Century was "Admirable" which lead to the modern name of "Admiral". They migrate each year from the Continent and should start to arrive in Britain in May. It is often seen in lanes, hedgerows and woodland clearings and they will mate and produce a resident generation. It can sometimes be seen flying at night, which is most unusual for a butterfly. Their caterpillars are mainly black with brown and yellow spines. They feed alone, in webs on the underside of nettle leaves.

Painted lady (Cynthia cardui). 54-65mm.
This butterfly migrates to Britain from South-west Europe and North Africa in May and June. The early arrivals lay eggs that can lead to a second generation; in general eggs, caterpillars, chrysalis or butterflies cannot survive in the cold, damp British Winter. Can be seen in open country and woodland clearings. Their caterpillars are mainly black with yellow or yellow and black spines. They can be found alone, in a web on the underside of thistle and nettle leaves.

Comma (Polygonia c-album). 44-54mm.
This butterfly hibernates through the winter and then first appears in March and April. They can be found in orchards, along hedgerows and along the margins of woodland. From the mating that took place in March and April a light-coloured first generation then flies in July. These butterflies then mate to produce a darker coloured second generation in September and October. They will spend hours basking in the sunshine. Their ragged wings provide good camouflage and even their caterpillars resemble bird droppings. Their name comes from a white comma mark on the underside of their wings. The caterpillars can be found alone, in a small web under a leaf, usually nettle. They are black, marked with yellow and white with white or yellow spines.

Browns Family Satyridae

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus). 36-42mm.
Because they are often found near hedgerows they are also known as "Hedge Browns". They are also commonly seen near woods. They can be seen during July and August and each butterfly lives for about three weeks. Their caterpillars are either green or brown with strips along the body of black, brown or white. They feed on cocksfoot and other grasses and over winters partly grown.

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina).44-50mm.
Britain's commonest butterfly they hatch between June and August. The females are both bigger and brighter in colour than the males. Unusually, for butterflies they fly on dull days and even in drizzle. They can be seen from June until September. Their caterpillars are green with black spots and also have white and dark green strips. They feed on grasses and over winter partly grown.

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria). 35-45mm.
This butterfly was known as the "Enfield eye" in the 18th Century. Another name was the "Wood argus" because it was a resident of woods and wood sides. Its speckled wings gave it excellent camouflage in the dappled light of the woodlands. It can also be seen along paths and hedgerows. There can be two or even four generations each year with the early Summer caterpillars becoming fully grown in just a month. In stark contrast the Autumn caterpillars that over-winter takes eight or nine months to become fully grown. The caterpillars are green with dark green and yellow strips. They feed on couch grass and other grasses. Some of the Autumn generation over winter as caterpillars, while others do so at the chrysalis stage.

Blues, hairstreaks and copper Family Lycaenidae

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus). 25-33mm.
Only the male of the species is blue the female being brown. Amazingly there is no blue pigment in the male's wings, the bright blue is produced by thousands of corrugated scales absorbing all the colours of the spectrum, except blue, and diffracting the sunlight. Two and sometimes three generations are produced each year. Their caterpillars are green with dark green and white stripes. They feed on trefoils and other legumes. The Autumn-generation caterpillars over winter in a frail silken shelter at the bottom of their food plants.

Brown Argus (Aricia agestis)
These fly in two generations the first in May and June and the second in July and August. Each butterfly lives for about three weeks. At dusk and on dull days they may group together, often with Common Blues, with their head downwards on long grass stems. The caterpillars are green with a pink strips and a brown strip on top.

Back to wildlife and flora in Alphington's lanes and along the Exeter Canal.