September

Meadow Brown Butterfly (Maniola-jurtina)

The Meadow Brown butterfly is probably one of the most common and widespread of all butterflies, seen throughout the UK. On the wing from June – September, it can often be found in many different types of grassy habitat such as, open woodland rides, roadside verges, meadows and even gardens.

This butterflies upper-wings are dark brown with a black eye spot and a band or light orange patch on the fore-wings, these markings are far less prominent on the male which also has a slightly smaller eye-spot.

Meadow Brown Butterfly (Maniola-jurtina) – Female wings open showing upper-side

Quick Info

Name: Meadow Brown (Maniola-jurtina)
Family Group: Nymphalidae, Browns.
When: June to September
Habitat: All kinds of rough grassy places, Meadows, woodland rides, Roadsides Verges, gardens
Wingspan: around 50mm
Adult butterflies feed on: Thistles, Bramble flowers, Knapweed, Common Ragwort, Wild Marjoram, Lavender, Coneflowers (Rudbeckia), Buddleia.
Caterpillars feed on: Cock’s foot and other various grasses.
Photographed – 13th June 2010 – 27th June 2012
Location – South Lincolnshire

Meadow Brown Butterfly (Maniola-jurtina) Wings Closed

The underside of the fore-wing is mainly orange with a black eye-spot while the hind-wing is mottled brown.

During cool weather or as the temperature falls towards sunset, the Meadow Brown will climb down and rest amongst the lower stems of tall grasses.

If disturbed before dusk they will often take flight and may flutter some distance before finding a suitable place to rest again.

Meadow Brown Butterfly – Male

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

Silver spotted Skipper Butterfly (Hesperia comma)

Now localised to only just a few sites across Southern England, the Silver spotted Skipper is most likely to be found on short grazed chalk grassland from August to September.

It is small butterfly, around 34mm size and a particularly fast flyer in warm sunshine, its low darting flight often makes it difficult to follow even while nectaring.

Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma) Male. Similar size and appearance to the Large Skipper.

Quick Info

Family Group: Hesperiidae – Skippers.
Habitat: close grazed grassland on chalkhills and downs
When: August to September
Adult Nectar Plant: Thistles (Cirsium sp), Scabious, Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare).
size around: 34mm
Caterpillars feed on: Grasses
Photographed: 11th August, 2013 Aston Rowant, Oxfordshire.

Silver-spotted Skipper Butterfly (Hesperia comma)

Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma) sunbathing after a period of cloud cover

From above with open wings, the Silver spotted Skipper is a golden yellow and brown colour, looking similar in appearance to the Large Skipper Butterfly (Ochlodes venata), the males have the black sex brand. The under-wings of both the male and female have the distinctive silvery white spots.

During periods of cloud cover on exposed hillsides they often rest low down amongst the grass stems or on a warm patch of bare soil, making them quite difficult to spot.

Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma), Female

Wild Marjoram for a Wildflower or Butterfly Garden

about

Wild Marjoram or Oregano is an attractive aromatic herb, with clusters of purple/pink flowers that appear June to September. The leaves are oval shaped and in pairs on upright stems they can grow up to 40 cm high.

Wild Marjoram (Origarnum vulgare) may be found growing in meadows, along woodland rides, roadside verges and other sunny places mainly on dry calcareous soils in Southern Britain.

Planting Marjoram

Planting Wild Marjoram can make a great addition to any Wildflower or Butterfly Garden, the nectar rich blooms are attractive to many species of Butterfly, as well as Moths, Bees, Hoverflies and many other pollinating insects.

It is also a Caterpillar food plant for the rare British butterfly the Large Blue

Wild Marjoram Flower Head pink and white petals

Close-up of Wild Marjoram Flower Head

Wild Marjoram a wild flower with many small pink and white flowers in July

Wild Marjoram flowering in July

Plant Information

Name: Wild Marjoram (Origarnum vulgare)
Family: Lamiaceae, inc Mint, Deadnettle
Type: Perennial
Also Known As: Oregano, Pot Marjoram
Where: Common and widespread through-out Southern Britain.
Habitat: Often found in – Meadows, woodland rides, Roadside verges and Gardens.
When does it flower? June to September.
Height around: 40cm.
Nectar Plant: Small White (Pieris rapae), Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, White-letter Hairstreak (Satyrium w-album), Brown Argus, Large Skipper, Small Skipper, and others, plus Moths and Bees
Caterpillar Food Plant: Large Blue Butterfly (Maculinea arion), Mint Moth (Pyrausta aurata)
Photographed: 1st July 2012

Black Hairstreak (Strymondia Pruni)

about

A small brown butterfly, with a defined white line, black spotted markings, and an orange band edged with a white fringe, on the under-wings.

Habitat

Like all Hairstreak Butterflies the Black Hairstreak prefers a sunny position more often than not above head height. Occasionally though they may be seen descending to nectar on bramble or other seasonal blossom.

The upper wings are rarely seen except in flight.

The Black Hairstreak is quite similar in appearance to White-letter Hairstreak (Satyrium w-album)e

Black Hairstreak (Strymondia Pruni) on Bramble Flowers

Quick Info

Family Group: Lycaenidae (Blues).
Where: A narrow belt of mature woodland areas, between Oxford and Peterborough.
Habitat: Mature blackthorn thickets in sheltered woodland clearings and rides.
When: Flying in largest numbers from mid June to early July.
Size: Wingspan around 35mm.
Larval Food Plant: Leaf buds and mature leaves of Blackthorn (prunus spinosa)
Adult Nectar Plant: Bramble, Wild Privet, Dog Rose.
Population Status:
Photographed: 14th June 2011, Glapthorn Cow Pasture.

Large White Butterfly (Pieris brassicae)

about

Probably the commonest white butterfly in the UK, the Large White is often seen in a wide range of habitats, such as Urban Gardens, Parks, Hedgerows, Meadows, Roadside Verges and Allotments, sometimes from as early as April. Numbers peak in July-August, sometimes topped up with migrant Butterflies from Mainland Europe, which then slowly fall away till October.

White Butterflies

The large White is part of the Pieridae Group of butterflies, in Britain this group includes:- The Small White, Orange Tip, Green-veined white, Brimstone, Wood white, and the regular summer migrant The Clouded Yellow.

Also known as the “Cabbage White” a name which, the Large White shares with its close cousin, the Small White Butterfly, a name given solely for its reputation, than anything else.

Large White Butterfly (Pieris brassicae) on thistle flower

Large White Butterfly (Pieris brassicae) female

Large White Butterfly (Pieris brassicae) on wild scabious flower

Large White butterfly on wild scabious flower

Food Plants

The caterpillars or larvae of the Large White Butterfly, often use the (Cruciferae) Group of plants as a food source, this group includes, the Mustard and Cabbage family of plants. Unfortunately for gardeners, the small caterpillars sometimes cause, untold damage to unprotected cabbages, in vegetable gardens and allotments across the country.

The upper-wings of the male are white, with Black tips and black spots on the fore – wings . The under-wings are pale yellow.

Quick Info

Family Group: Pieridae – Whites
On the wing: May – September.
Size around: 60mm.
Larval (caterpillar) Food Plant – (Cruciferae) which includes Mustard and (brassicaceae) Cabbage family of plants.
photograph Location: Barnack Hills and Holes.
Photographed: top 20th July – left 1st July.