By Lymi

Butterflies of Europe

Name 29 European butterflies and one day-flying moth from photos, with where and when each one flies and a feature to spot it by.

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  • A butterfly with orange wings chequered with black spots and small white marks, perched on a yellow flower against a green background.

    Map

  • A butterfly with dark maroon wings edged in creamy yellow, with a row of blue spots inside the border, resting on gravel.

    Camberwell beauty

  • A white butterfly with closed wings marked with bold black veins, feeding on a pink scabious flower.

    Black-veined white

  • A large yellow and black butterfly with open wings, a blue band and a red spot near the tails of its hindwings, perched on green leaves.

    Swallowtail

  • A large pale cream butterfly with black stripes, blue crescents and long tails on its hindwings, spread open over yellow flowers.

    Scarce swallowtail

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PeacockA butterfly with rusty-red wings spread open, each wing with a large eye-like spot in blue, black and cream, against a soft green background.
Gardens, woodland edges and meadows, from early spring to autumn; adults spend the winter in sheds and hollow trees. A large eyespot on each of its four wings.
Red admiralA butterfly with open velvety black-brown wings, crossed by bright orange-red bands and dotted with white near the tips, resting on pink flowers.
Gardens, parks and almost any flowery place, from spring to late autumn; each year many arrive from further south. Black wings with a red band and white spots near the tips.
Small tortoiseshellA butterfly with open orange wings marked with black and pale yellow patches and a fringe of small blue crescents, sitting in grass.
Gardens, meadows and anywhere nettles grow, from early spring to autumn. Orange wings with black and yellow patches and a row of blue spots along the edges.
Painted ladyA butterfly with open orange-buff wings patterned with black and white-spotted dark tips, perched on a small thistle head among meadow plants.
Dry open country and flowery gardens, mostly in summer; each spring it spreads north from North Africa and the Middle East. Orange wings with black patches and white spots near the tips.
CommaA butterfly with ragged, deeply scalloped orange wings covered in dark spots, spread open on a mossy branch.
Woodland edges, hedges and gardens, from early spring to autumn. Ragged, scalloped orange wings; underneath is a small white mark shaped like a comma.
BrimstoneA butterfly with closed, leaf-shaped pale green-yellow wings, each with a small brown dot, resting on a large green leaf.
Woodland edges, hedgerows and scrub; adults hibernate and are among the first butterflies out in spring. Leaf-shaped wings, bright yellow in the male and very pale green in the female.
Large whiteA white butterfly feeding at small lilac flowers, its forewing showing two black spots and a dark grey tip.
Gardens, allotments and fields where cabbages grow, from spring to autumn. White, with a black forewing tip that runs down the wing edge; females also have two black spots.
Small whiteA white butterfly with open wings, grey-tipped forewings and two dark spots on each forewing, resting among green leaves.
Gardens, allotments and fields, from spring to autumn. Smaller than the Large white, with a small grey forewing tip; females have two spots on each forewing, males one.
Orange-tipA white butterfly with wings spread open, its forewings ending in bright orange patches, against a dark brown background.
Damp meadows, hedgerows, woodland glades and gardens, from April to June. Only the male has orange wingtips; both sexes have a mottled green underside.
Holly blueA small butterfly with closed wings, pale silvery blue underneath with tiny black dots, perched on white flowers.
Gardens, parks, churchyards and hedges, in spring and again in late summer; it appears earlier in spring than other blues. A pale silvery-blue underside with small black dots and no orange.
Common blueA small butterfly with open wings of bright violet-blue edged with white, resting on a yellow flower head.
Grassland, road verges, dunes and waste ground, from May to September. The male is violet-blue above; the female is mostly brown with orange spots near the edges.
Small copperA small butterfly with open wings: shiny orange forewings with black spots and a dark edge, and dark hindwings with an orange band, on a grass stem.
Grassland, heath, woodland clearings and waste ground, from spring to autumn. Shiny orange forewings with black spots and a dark border; brown hindwings with an orange band.
Speckled woodA brown butterfly with open wings covered in cream spots and small eyespots, basking beside a green leaf.
Woodland rides, hedges and shady gardens, from spring to autumn. Dark brown with pale spots; males perch in patches of sunlight and chase off rivals.
Meadow brownA brown butterfly with open wings, a small black eyespot near each forewing tip, resting on bramble flowers.
Almost any grassland, from hay meadows and verges to parks, from June to September. Brown with a black eyespot near each forewing tip; females have a bright orange patch around it.
RingletA dark brown butterfly with closed wings showing rows of small black eyespots ringed in yellow, feeding on a pale thistle flower.
Damp grassland, woodland rides and verges with tall grass, from June to August. Dark brown, with a row of small yellow-ringed eyespots underneath; it keeps flying in cloudy weather.
Small heathA small butterfly with closed wings, an orange forewing with a single black eyespot and a grey-brown hindwing, on a yellow flower.
Short, dry grassland, heath and dunes, from May to September. Small and orange-brown; it always rests with wings closed, showing one eyespot near the forewing tip.
Marbled whiteA butterfly with open wings patterned in a black-and-white chequerboard, clinging to a grass stem.
Tall, flowery grassland, especially on chalk and limestone, from June to August. Chequered black and white all over.
Green hairstreakA small butterfly with closed wings of bright emerald green, perched on a green flower bud.
Scrubby grassland, heath, moorland and woodland edges, from April to June. It rests with wings closed, showing a bright green underside; the upperside is brown.
Clouded yellowA bright yellow butterfly with closed wings, a black dot on the forewing and a silver-centred spot on the hindwing, feeding at purple flowers.
Flowery grassland and clover fields; it breeds in southern Europe and migrates north in summer, in some years in large numbers. Deep yellow with black borders above, but it nearly always rests with wings closed.
Silver-washed fritillaryA large orange butterfly with open wings covered in black spots and streaks, basking on a broad green leaf.
Sunny clearings and rides in broadleaf woodland, in July and August. Large and orange with black spots, pointed forewings and silver streaks on the underside.
White admiralA butterfly with open dark brown wings crossed by a broken white band, perched on bramble among green leaves.
Shady broadleaf woods with honeysuckle, from June to August. Dark wings crossed by a white band; it glides between short bursts of wingbeats.
Purple emperorA large dark butterfly with open wings, a violet sheen on one forewing, white bands and a small orange-ringed eyespot, resting on stony ground.
Large broadleaf woods, mostly high in the treetops, in July and August. The male's wings flash purple in the light; it feeds on tree sap and aphid honeydew rather than flowers.
MapA butterfly with orange wings chequered with black spots and small white marks, perched on a yellow flower against a green background.
Damp woodland edges and clearings with nettles in central and eastern Europe, in spring and again in summer; absent from Britain. Spring adults are orange with black spots.
Camberwell beautyA butterfly with dark maroon wings edged in creamy yellow, with a row of blue spots inside the border, resting on gravel.
Woods and river valleys with birch and willow, mainly in northern, central and eastern Europe; it flies from midsummer to autumn and again in spring after hibernating. Dark maroon wings with a cream border and a row of blue spots.
Black-veined whiteA white butterfly with closed wings marked with bold black veins, feeding on a pink scabious flower.
Orchards, flowery meadows and scrub across much of mainland Europe, from May to July. White wings with bold black veins.
SwallowtailA large yellow and black butterfly with open wings, a blue band and a red spot near the tails of its hindwings, perched on green leaves.
Flowery meadows, hillsides and wetlands, from spring to late summer; in Britain only in the fens of the Norfolk Broads. Large and yellow with black veins, a blue band, a red eyespot and tails on the hindwings.
Scarce swallowtailA large pale cream butterfly with black stripes, blue crescents and long tails on its hindwings, spread open over yellow flowers.
Warm scrub, orchards and gardens in southern and central Europe, from spring to late summer. Pale cream with black tiger stripes and long tails on the hindwings.
Southern festoonA butterfly with open pale yellow wings crossed by zigzag black bands, with red spots near the hindwing edges, sitting in grass.
Warm meadows, river banks and scrub where birthwort grows, in south-eastern and eastern Europe, from April to June. Pale yellow with zigzag black bands and red spots along the hindwing edges.
ApolloA large white, slightly see-through butterfly with black spots and orange-red eyespots on its hindwings, feeding on white yarrow flowers.
Flowery meadows and rocky slopes in Europe's mountains, mostly above 1,000 metres, in summer. Large, white and slightly see-through, with black spots on the forewings and red eyespots on the hindwings.
Hummingbird hawk-mothA small insect with a stout grey-brown body and orange hindwings, hovering beside pink flowers with its long tongue reaching out.
A day-flying moth, not a butterfly. Gardens and flowery places, mostly in summer; it breeds mainly in southern Europe and migrates north. It hovers at flowers like a hummingbird, drinking through a long tongue.

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A large yellow and black butterfly with open wings, a blue band and a red spot near the tails of its hindwings, perched on green leaves.

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Published September 28, 2026