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.

Butterfly Name

Egg/ Caterpillar/ Chrysalis/ Butterfly

Plant Name

Plant Usage

Plant Usage Months

Adonis Blue

Egg,
Caterpillar

Chrysalis
Butterfly

Horseshoe vetch
Horseshoe vetch

Leaf litter
Vetches, Trefoils, Clovers and Marjoram

1 egg under leaf.
Eats leaves.

---
Eats nectar.

1 then
June-March or September to July
3 weeks
1 Month

Berger's Clouded Yellow

Egg,


Caterpillar


Chrysalis
Butterfly

Horseshoe vetch






Clover and
Lucerne

1 egg on leaf.


Eats leaves.


---
Eats nectar.

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

Brimstone

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly

Buckthorn,
Alder Buckthorn


Wild flowers and purple flowers such as
Thistles and Greater Knapweed.
Ivy

1 egg under leaf.

Eats leaves.
---
Eats nectar.




Hibernates during winter

10 days in May-June
28 days.
12 days.
12 months.
 

Brown Argus

Egg,




Caterpillar





Chrysalis
Butterfly

Rock-rose or Storksbilll
Leaf Litter









Rock-rose or Storksbilll

1 egg under leaf.




Eats leaves.





---
Eats nectar.

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.

Chalk-Hill Blue

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis
Butterfly

Horseshoe vetch
Birdsfoot Trefoil
Kidney Vetch
Leaf litter
Vetches, Trefoils, Clovers and Marjoram

1 egg at base of plant.
Eats leaves.

---
Eats nectar.

Late August-April

April-June

1 Month
20 days

Clouded Yellow

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Butterfly

Clover,
Lucerne
Trefoils,
Melilot.
---

Clover,
Lucerne
Thistles,
Greater Knapweed,
Marjoram,
Aubretia and
Marigolds in gardens

1 egg on leaf.

Eats leaves.



Eats nectar.

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

Comma

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis
Butterfly

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.

Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf.
Eats leaves.

---
Eats nectar.

April. 17 days

47 days.

10 days.
July-October

Common Blue

Egg,

Caterpillar



Chrysalis

Butterfly

Birdsfoot Trefoil, Clovers,
Black Medic, Vetches and Restharrow
.
---

Fleabanes, Marjoram and Thymes

Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf.
Eats buds and flowers.


Base of food plant.

Eats nectar.

-
-
Spend winter at the base of the food plant. They resume feeding in March.
2 weeks

3 weeks between May and September

Dark Green Fritillary

Egg,

Caterpillar



Chrysalis
Butterfly

Dog Violet,
Violets





Thistles - usually taller ones

1 egg on underside of leaf or on stalk.
Hibernates where it hatches.
Eats leaves.

Base of food plant.
Eats nectar

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

Glanville Fritillary

Egg,



Caterpillar






Chrysalis

Butterfly

Ribwort Plantain,
Sea Plantain









---

Vetches,
Trefoils

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

Hatches after 16 days in June.


June-April






25 days in April-May.
June-July

Green-veined White

Egg,

Caterpillar



Chrysalis



Butterfly

Charlock,
Cuckoo Flower,
Hedge-Mustard,
Garlic-Mustard,
Yellow Rocket,
Watercress
---

Wild Cabbage family

1 egg on underside of leaf.
Eats leaves.

---



Eats Nectar

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

Heath Fritillary

Egg,



Caterpillar





Chrysalis
Butterfly

Cow-Wheat,
Narrow-leaved Plantain







---
Cow-Wheat,
Bugle,
Germander Speedwell,
Wood Sage,
Ragged Robin, Narrow-leaved Plantain

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.
---
Eats nectar

Hatches after 16 days in June.


June-April





25 days in June.
June-July

High Brown Fritillary

Egg,


Caterpillar


Chrysalis
Butterfly

Common Dog Violet,
Hairy Violet,
Heath Dog-violet
Pale Dog violet
Sweet Violet

Thistles
Bramble

1 egg on stem or stalk near plant base.
Feed on young leaves, stalks and stems
---
Eats nectar

July to hatch in 8 months in March.

9 weeks pupating in May

4 weeks
June-August
 

Holly Blue

Egg,


Caterpillar
Chrysalis



Butterfly

Holly
Ivy
Dogwood
Spindle-tree
Gorse
Buckthorn
Snowberry
Bramble
Lilac,
Bluebell
Dandelion
Oak
Birch

1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk.
Eats flower bud.
---



Eats nectar


and sap exuding from trunks.

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.

Large Skipper

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly

Cocksfoot grass False Brome grass
---
Wild flowers

1 egg under leaf.
Eats leaves.
---
Eats nectar

11 Months
3 weeks from May
June-August

Large Tortoiseshell

Egg,



Caterpillar



Chrysalis

Butterfly

Elm,
Wych Elm,
Willow,
Sallow,
Aspen,
Poplar,
Whitebeam,
Cherry
---

Tree sap and damaged ripe fruit, which are high in sugar

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.

Hatches after 18-22 days in April.


30 days in May



9 days in June.

10 months in June-April

Large White

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Butterfly

Cabbages




---
 

Cabbages,
Beans,
Clover and
Lucerne
Garden Nasturtiums,
Mignonettes

40-100 eggs on both surfaces of leaf.

Eats leaves.
---
 

Eats nectar

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

Marsh Fritillary

Egg,



Caterpillar





Chrysalis
Butterfly

Devilsbit Scabious, Plantains, Foxglove,
Wood Sage, Honeysuckle




---
Yellow flowers such as Dandelion, Birds-Foot-Trefoil, Hawkbit

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

Hatches after 20 days in July.


July-May





15 days in May.
30 days in May-June

Orange Tip

Egg,

Caterpillar



Chrysalis

Butterfly

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

1 egg laid in the tight buds and flowers.
Eats leaves, buds, flowers and especially the seed pods.
---

Eats nectar

May-June 7 days.


June-July 24 days.



August-May

May-June for 18 days.

Painted Lady

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis



Butterfly

Thistles
Mallows
Burdocks
Stinging Nettle
Vipers Bugloss
---
Wild flowers like
Clover,
Lucerne,
Thistles,
Scabious,
Charlock and
Ivy

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
---



Eats nectar

2 weeks in June.
7-11days
7-11 days



July-October

Pale Clouded Yellow

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Butterfly

Clover,
Lucerne.


---

Clover,
Lucerne

1 egg on leaf.

Eats leaves.



Eats nectar.

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

Peacock

Egg,




Caterpillar



Chrysalis


Butterfly

Stinging Nettle.











Thistles,
Greater Knapweed,
Scabious,
Clover,
Buddleias,
Sedum,
Rotten fruit
Fruit tree blossom in Spring

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

14 days in April-May.



28 days.



13days.


July-May

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Egg,

Caterpillar





Chrysalis
Butterfly

Dog Violet







---
Bluebell,
Bugles,
Violets and Primroses.

1 egg on leaf or stem.
Feeds on leaves until July. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats young leaves until May.
---
Eats nectar

Hatches after 15 days in May-June.
July-May





9 days in June.
June.

Queen of Spain Fritillary

Egg,


Caterpillar





Chrysalis

Butterfly

Heartsease,
Borage,
Sainfoin

Mountain pansy,
Seaside Pansy,
Field Pansy and Culivated Pansy.
---

Clover,
Heartease,
Thistles and
Wild Flowers

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

7 days in August.


23 days in August-September




3 weeks in September
May-September

Silver-washed Fritillary

Egg,

Caterpillar



Chrysalis
Butterfly

Pine,
Oak.



Dog violet
Rock or Twig
Bramble,
Thistles,
Teasels,
Wild Flowers

1 egg on tree trunk

Hibernates in a crevice in the bark of the tree trunk.
Eats leaves
---
Eats nectar

15 days in July.

August-March.


March-May.
Late June-July
7 weeks in July-August.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Egg,

Caterpillar





Chrysalis
Butterfly

Dog Violet,
Garden Pansy






---
Thistles,
Bluebell,
Bugles,
Violets and Primroses.

1 egg on leaf or stem.
Feeds on leaves until July. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats young leaves until April.
---
Eats nectar

Hatches after 10 days in May-June.
June-April





April- June.
June-August

Small White

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Butterfly

Cabbages,
Garden Nasturtiums,
Mignonettes

---
 

Cabbages,
Beans,
Clover and
Lucerne
Garden Nasturtiums,
Mignonettes

1 egg on underside of leaf.


Eats leaves.
---
 

Eats nectar

May-June and August. 7 days.


28 days
21 days for May-June eggs, or overwinter till March
March-May or June-September

Swallowtail

Egg,




Caterpillar




Chrysalis


Butterfly

Milk Parsley
Hogs's Fennel
Wild Angelica

Thistles

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

14 days in July-August



August-September




September-May


May-July

Wood White

Egg,


Caterpillar

Chrysalis
Butterfly

Bitter vetch,
Birds-foot-trefoil,
Vetchs,
Tufted Vetch,
Fyfield Pea,

Cuckoo Flower,
Bitter Vetch,
Birds-foot-trefoil,
Bugle,
Ragged Robin

1 egg laid on underside of leaflets or bracts.
Eats leaves.

---
Eats nectar.

7 days in June

32 days in June-July.
July-May.
May-June