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 trodden on, then you will not see the butterfly.

Plant Name

Butterfly Name

Egg/ Caterpillar/ Chrysalis/ Butterfly

Plant Usage

Plant Usage Months

Narrow-leaved Plantain (Ribwort Plantain)

Heath Fritillary

Egg,



Caterpillar





Chrysalis

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.
---

Hatches after 16 days in June.


June-April





25 days in June.

Narrow-leaved Plantain (Ribwort Plantain)

Glanville Fritillary

Egg,



Caterpillar






Chrysalis
 

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.
---
 

Hatches after 16 days in June.


June-April






25 days in April-May.

Nasturtium from Gardens

Small White

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of leaf.


Eats leaves.
---
 

May-June and August. 7 days.


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

Oak Tree

Silver-washed Fritillary

Egg,
Caterpillar





Chrysalis

1 egg on tree trunk
Hibernates in a crevice in the bark of the tree trunk.
Moves out of tree to eat Dog Violet leaves.
On rock or twig.

15 days in July.
August-March.


March-May.


Late June-July

Mountain pansy,
Seaside Pansy,
Field Pansy and Cultivated Pansy.
 

Queen of Spain Fritillary

Egg,


Caterpillar





 

Chrysalis
 

1 egg laid under the leaf or on top of the flower.
Eats leaves of borage, sainfoin and heartsease, then before pupating it eats the bloom and leaves of the pansies.

---
 

7 days in August.


23 days in August-September




 

3 weeks in September
 

Pine Tree

Silver-washed Fritillary

Egg,
Caterpillar





Chrysalis

1 egg on tree trunk
Hibernates in a crevice in the bark of the tree trunk.
Moves out of tree to eat Dog Violet leaves.
On rock or twig.

15 days in July.
August-March.


March-May.


Late June-July

Plantains

Marsh Fritillary

Egg,



Caterpillar





Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on leaves until late August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats leaves until May.
---

Hatches after 20 days in July.


July-May





15 days in May.

Poplar

Large Tortoiseshell

Egg,



Caterpillar



Chrysalis
 

Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant.
Feeds on leaves.

Hangs suspended from stem.

Hatches after 18-22 days in April.


30 days in May



9 days in June.
 

Restharrow

Common Blue

Egg,

Caterpillar



Chrysalis
 

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


Base of food plant.
 

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

Rock-rose

Brown Argus

Egg,
Caterpillar

1 egg under leaf.
Eats leaves.

Sainfoin

Queen of Spain Fritillary

Egg,


Caterpillar





Chrysalis
 

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.

---
 

7 days in August.


23 days in August-September




3 weeks in September
 

Sallow

Large Tortoiseshell

Egg,



Caterpillar



Chrysalis
 

Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant.
Feeds on leaves.

Hangs suspended from stem.

Hatches after 18-22 days in April.


30 days in May



9 days in June.
 

Sea Plantain

Glanville Fritillary

Egg,



Caterpillar






Chrysalis
 

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.
---
 

Hatches after 16 days in June.


June-April






25 days in April-May.

Snowberry

Holly Blue

Egg,


Caterpillar
Chrysalis


 

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


 

7 days.


28-42 days.
18 days. Early September to Late April for second generation.

Spindle-tree

Holly Blue

Egg,


Caterpillar
Chrysalis


 

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


 

7 days.


28-42 days.
18 days. Early September to Late April for second generation.

Stinging Nettle

Comma



Painted Lady


Peacock

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Egg
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Egg,




Caterpillar



Chrysalis

Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf.
Eats leaves.
---
1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
---
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.
---

2 weeks in June.
7-11 days
7-11 days
14 days in April-May.



28 days.



13days.

Storksbill

Brown Argus

Egg,
Caterpillar

1 egg under leaf.
Eats leaves.

Thistles

Painted Lady

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
---

2 weeks
7-11days
7-11 days

Trefoils

Clouded Yellow

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis
 

1 egg on leaf.

Eats leaves.


 

6 days in May-June.
Pupates in 30 days.

18 days in July-August.

Vetches

Common Blue

Egg,

Caterpillar



Chrysalis
 

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


Base of food plant.
 

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

Vetches

Wood White

Egg,


Caterpillar

Chrysalis

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

---

7 days in June

32 days in June-July.
July-May.

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

Dark Green Fritillary

Egg,

Caterpillar



Chrysalis

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

Base of food plant.

July-August for 17 days.
Spends winter on plant until end of March. Eats leaves until end of May.
4 weeks.

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

High Brown Fritillary

Egg,


Caterpillar


Chrysalis

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

July to hatch in 8 months in March

9 weeks pupating in May

4 weeks

Vipers Bugloss

Painted Lady

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
---

2 weeks
7-11days
7-11 days

Whitebeam

Large Tortoiseshell

Egg,



Caterpillar



Chrysalis
 

Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant.
Feeds on leaves.

Hangs suspended from stem.

Hatches after 18-22 days in April.


30 days in May



9 days in June.
 

Wild Angelica

Swallowtail

Egg,




Caterpillar




Chrysalis

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.
---

14 days in July-August



August-September




September-May

Willow

Large Tortoiseshell

Egg,



Caterpillar



Chrysalis
 

Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant.
Feeds on leaves.

Hangs suspended from stem.

Hatches after 18-22 days in April.


30 days in May



9 days in June.
 

Wood Sage

Marsh Fritillary

Egg,



Caterpillar





Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on leaves until late August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats leaves until May.
---

Hatches after 20 days in July.


July-May





15 days in May.