Latin name: Polygonia c-album
Size: Has a wingspan of around 45mms.
Distribution: Found throughout southern England and Wales.
Months seen: April through to November.
Habitat: Woodlands and gardens.
Food: Nectar.
Special features: Only 100 years ago this ragged looking butterfly was almost extinct in Britain. The reason for its decline is still a mystery, but from 1830 to 1920 sightings in the southern counties of England were reduced to just one or two. It wasn't until around 1930 that numbers started to increase. Today the comma is a familiar sight in southern England and Wales.
Latin name: Pararge aegeria
Size: Wingspan approximately 45mms.
Distribution: Found throughout the UK. Less common in Scotland.
Months seen: April to October.
Habitat: Woodland glades and rides.
Food: Nectar.
Special features: These butterflies tend to be found, as their name suggests, in woodlands. They are normally seen fluttering in the shafts of sunlight which penetrate through the woodland canopy.
The males are fiercely territorial. They will sit perched on foliage, waiting for other passing males to enter their air space. When this happens they instantly take to the air and engage it in a fight.
Latin name: Inachis io
Size: Wingspan approximately 60mms.
Distribution: Found throughout the UK. Less common in Scotland.
Months seen: March to October.
Habitat: Meadows, roadside verges and gardens.
Food: Nectar. The caterpillars feed on stinging nettles.
Special features: Peacock butterflies can be easily recognised by their four large eye spots, which look similar to those on a peacocks tail feathers.
In contrast the underside of the wings look almost black, allowing the peacock to remain well camouflaged in garden sheds and outbuildings during its winter hibernation.
Latin name: Polyommatus icarus
Size: Wingspan up to 35mms.
Distribution: Found throughout the UK.
Months seen: May to October.
Food: Nectar. The caterpillars feed on bird's-foot trefoil
Habitat: Meadows, rough grassland and gardens.
Special features: On sunny days you can sometimes find these butterflies feeding together in small colonies. It's the most commonly seen of all the blue butterflies.
The bright blue male (above) is unmistakable, but the female is darker, and can have varying amounts of brown on the wings.
Latin name: Polyommatus icarus
Size: Wingspan up to 35mms.
Distribution: Found throughout the UK.
Months seen: May to October.
Food: Nectar. The caterpillars feed on bird's-foot trefoil
Habitat: Meadows, rough grassland and gardens.
Special features: On sunny days you can sometimes find these butterflies feeding together in small colonies. It's the most commonly seen of all the blue butterflies.
The bright blue male (above) is unmistakable, but the female is darker, and can have varying amounts of brown on the wings
Latin name: Vanessa Atalanta
Size: Wingspan approximately 64mms.
Distribution: Found throughout the UK.
Months seen: May to October.
Habitat: Gardens, Hedgerows and meadows.
Food: Nectar, loves buddleia and will also feed on windfall fruits such as apples and plums.
Special features: The name admiral is a corruption of the word admirable which refers to its admirable bright colours.
Most red admirals seen in the UK arrive here in the spring after flying north from Southern Europe. Although some successfully hibernate here throughout the winter, most do not survive the cold weather.
Latin name: Aglais urticae
Size: Has a wingspan approximately 50mms.
Distribution: Found throughout the UK.
Months seen: March to late October.
Habitat: Meadows, gardens, and waste ground with wild flowers.
Food: Nectar. The caterpillars feed on stinging nettles.
Special features: This is one of the prettiest, and fortunately one of our commonest butterflies. They are resident in Britain all year, and can be found almost anywhere.
They start laying eggs in spring, on the caterpillars food plant, stinging nettles.
Latin name: Calopteryx virgo
Size: Wingspan approximately 60mms.
Distribution: Mainly found in the south and west of Britain.
Months seen: May to August.
Habitat: Found near fast flowing streams and rivers.
Food: Insects.
Special features: The male has an irridescent blue body and purple-brown wings. The wings become more blue with age. The female is more greenish with brown wings.
Latin name: Calopteryx virgo
Size: Wingspan approximately 60mms.
Distribution: Mainly found in the south and west of Britain.
Months seen: May to August.
Habitat: Found near fast flowing streams and rivers.
Food: Insects.
Special features: The male has an irridescent blue body and purple-brown wings. The wings become more blue with age. The female is more greenish with brown wings.
Latin name: Enallagma cyathigerum
Size: Wingspan approximately 40mms.
Distribution: Found throughout the UK.
Months seen: May to September.
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, rivers and streams.
Food: Small flying insects.
Special features: The female can be a dull green colour.
Latin name: Sympetrum striolatum
Size: Wingspan approximately 58mms
Distribution: Found in most of the U.K., but absent from some areas of Scotland.
Months seen: June to November.
Habitat: Still ponds and lakes.
Food: Flying insects.
Special features: Bright red body with a tapering abdomen. Similar to the 'Ruddy Darter', but the ruddy darter has a more club shaped abdomen.
The Common darter prefers to perch on bankside vegetation rather than on the ground.
I have not often seen this species at the canal before, so think myself lucky to get this shot. This is the female of the species, the male having a light blue body.
It posed so well, I could'nt refuse!
We have all gotta rest sometime!
.jpg "Black tailed skimmer(Orthetrum cancellatum)")
.jpg "Southern migrant hawker (A.affinis)")
