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Welcome to Urban Butterfly Garden

Urban Gardens could play an important role in Butterfly Conservation

Gardens can play an important role in increasing the population and spread of some of our native and migrant butterfly species.

We are encouraged to use far less chemicals in the garden, and switch to more organic methods, like composting, and the use of natural fertilizers for our plants and vegetables, these changes can help to create a safer environment for us and our wildlife.

Orange-tip Butterflies may be seen in gardens from early Spring

These planted areas create what is known as a Green Corridor, allowing the movement of butterflies and other insects and wildlife through urban environments.

There are wildlife friendly plants and seed kits available to create a butterfly garden, and give things a great start.

Peacock Butterflies seen in Gardens Spring and Mid Summer

How…

Setting aside an area of the garden how ever big or small, for a selection of easy maintenance Flowers, or Shrubs, like Buddleia, Wild Marjoram (oregano), some Meadow Grasses maybe a few Nettles, will encourage butterflies and moths as well as other beneficial insects like Ladybirds and Hoverflies into the garden.

Common Blue Butterfly (Polyommatus icarus)

Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album)

The Comma Butterfly is quite distinctive in appearance, its bright orange and brown colouring and unusual jagged wing shape make it quite easy to identify even from some distance.

Widespread across England and Wales, Comma Butterflies can often be seen in woodland clearings, on open rides, hedgerows and maybe even in the garden. They can be seen on the wing from early March to September, often in a sheltered sunny spot basking in the warm sunshine.

The males are often quite territorial and may be seen patrolling a section of hedgerow or woodland path sometimes quite boldly making their appearance known to other male Commas.

The Comma may also make an appearance on quite cool days with intermittent sunshine, sometimes resting hardly noticeable wings closed in the subdued sunlight, taking flight at even the slightest disturbance heading upward to find a safer perch.

Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album)

Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album) in garden on leaf

Upper-wings: are orange with dark brown markings. Under-wings are mottled browns with a small white comma shape marking, from which it gets its name.

Comma Quick Info

Family Group: Nymphalidae – Browns
Wingspan: approx 45mm
Caterpillars feed on: Stinging Nettle (urtica-dioica), Hops and Elm.
Adults Nectar on: Bramble flowers, Ripe Blackberries, Ragwort
Adults Nectar in the garden on: Buddleia (mostly-yellow or White!), Rudbeckia
Photographs: Top right – Left – June 2011.
Location: My garden, and out on a local walk.

Brown Hairstreak (Thecla betulae)

A small rare butterfly, the Brown Hairstreak spends most of its time fluttering round high in the tree tops of a chosen Ash tree, often referred to as the Master Tree.

Most active on warm sunny days, both the male and female Butterflies may occasionally come down lower to nectar on bramble or other flowers, although the female is the most likely the one to seen close up, as she flies around to find a suitable site to lay her eggs.

Upper-wings are brown with orange patches on the fore-wings, under-wings orange/brown with two white lines or streaks.

Brown Hairstreak Butterfly female with wings open

Brown Hairstreak – female with wings open © Urban Butterfly Garden 2010-2014

Population Status

The Brown Hairstreak is a priority species for conservation, due to continued habitat loss. The use of mechanical hedge cutting or flailing in late summer and Autumn damages hedgerows making them unsuitable for the female butterfly to lay her eggs, also cutting away previously laid eggs that will hatch in the following spring.

Brown Hairstreak on Blackthorn © Urban Butterfly Garden 2010-2014

Quick Info

Family Group: Blues (Lycaenidae).
Habitat: Found along the edges or in open areas of woodland or hedgerows in areas where Blackthorn or sloe is found growing in abundance.
When: July to October.
Where: Localised mainly in Southern and Central England.
Size: Around 40mm.
Larval Food Plant: Only Blackthorn (prunus spinosa) and other prunus species.
Adult Nectar Plant: Aphid Honey dew found on Ash trees, Bramble
Photographed: 8th September 2012, Chambers Farm Wood, Lincolnshire

Common Birds-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatas)

A native wildflower, Common Birds-foot Trefoil with small distinctive yellow to orange petalled flowers, is low growing and often be found amongst the grasses on woodland rides, roadside verges and in grazed meadows.

Flowering from May to September, the bright yellow flowers attract butterflies, moths and other insects, after flowering seed pods develop appear in the shape of a birds foot.

Common Birds-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatas) close up of the flowers

Common Birds-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatas) close up of the Small delicate flowers

Common Birds-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatas) Native British Wild Flower

Common Birds-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatas) growing amongst grasses

Plant Information

Family: fabaceae (Pea Family)
Flower type: 5 lobed, papilionaceous
Flowering: May-October
Height: around 40cm
larval food plant: Common Blue Butterfly (Polyommatus icarus), Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi), Dingy Skipper Butterfly (Erynnis tages)
Nectar Plant to: Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Brown Argus, Common Blue.
Photographed: 17th July 2010.
Location: Barnack Hills and Holes.

Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)

about

A tall perennial or biennial plant with flat-topped clusters of small bright yellow flowers on long straight leafy stems.

Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) provides a nectar for many species of bees, flies, moths and butterflies, some species are totally dependant upon it as a food source, making it a vital part of our natural native flora.

Cinnabar Moth Caterpillars on Ragwort Plant.

Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)

Plant Information

Name: Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)
Where: Very Common through-out Britain
Habitat: Grassy meadows, Road side verges, Embankments, Waste ground, and many other open areas.
When does it flower?: June to November.
Height up to: 1 m.
Larval Food Plant: Cinnabar moth (dependent)
Butterfly Nectar Plant for: Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Peacock, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Green-veined White, Small White, Marble-white, Large White, Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Comma, Holly Blue, Small Copper.
Photographed: top 7th August, left 20th July (Macro).

Skippers – Hesperiidae

Choose a Family Group

Swallowtail
Papilionidae

Whites
Pierinae

Skippers
Hesperiidae

Browns
Nymphalidae

Blues
Lycaenidae

Skippers Family Group – Hesperiidae
Hesperiidae are a family of butterflies more commonly known as Skippers, their small size, wing and body shape, give them an appearance more like a moth than a butterfly. In Britain there are 8 resident species of skipper.
Chequered Skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon)	Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages)	Essex Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)	Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae)
Large Skipper (Ochlodes venata)	Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon)	Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)	Silver Spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)

© Urban Butterfly Garden 2010-2013

Essex Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)

Brief Description

A small meadow butterfly with orange and dark brown margined upper-wings and buff under-wings, native to the British isles.

On the wing in July and August the Essex skipper is sometimes found in the same habitat along side the, small skipper in meadows and other grassy places although it does prefer sunny embankments and chalky hill sides.

Being almost identical to the Small skipper, and sometimes sharing the same habitat, identification can often be difficult, one main difference is the underside of the antennae tip is black.

Essex Skipper Butterfly (Thymelicus lineola)

Quick Info

Family Group – Hesperiidae.
Where – Across Southern and Eastern England and Wales.
Habitat- Coastal areas, to inland sunny embankments, chalky hillsides meadows and grassland.
When– July – August.
Size– Wingspan 26 – 30mm.
Larval Food Plants – Cock’s-foot (Dactylis glomerata), Couch Grass (Elymus repens)
Adults nectar on – Ox-eye daisy, Birds-foot Trefoil (Lotus uliginosus), Thistles, Ragwort.
Population Status – Spreading steadily Northward reaching Parts of Central England.
Photographed – July 2011. (will be updated)

Urban Gardens could play an important role in Butterfly Conservation

How…

Comma Quick Info

Population Status

Quick Info

Plant Information

about

Plant Information

Skippers Family Group – Hesperiidae

Brief Description

Quick Info