Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria ssp. tircis (Godart, 1821)

Top End, Blagdon Lake © Nigel Milbourne 2006

 

Butterflies Photo Gallery

 

Annotated Site Butterfly List [2020 Revision]

Order Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies)

Family Hesperiidae (Skippers)

  • 57.001 Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages ssp. tages (Linnaeus, 1758), two in ST5059 17th June 1963 (source NBN Atlas – BRERC), three at Top End ST55J, 5th June 1965 (source NBN Atlas – BC & BRERC), one adult, 15th May 2025 (N.R. Milbourne, photo). Extremely rare.
  • 57.002 Grizzled Skipper Pyrgus malvae (Linnaeus, 1758), 23rd May 2019 (R. Higgins). Extremely rare.
  • 57.005 Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Ochsenheimer, 1808), 22nd July 2013 (N.R. Milbourne). Uncommon.
  • 57.006 Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris (Poda, 1761), 8th Aug. 2011 (N.R. Milbourne). Scarce.
  • 57.009 Large Skipper Ochlodes sylvanus (Esper, 1777), 14th June 2003 (N.R. Milbourne). Uncommon.

Sub-total 5 spp.

Family Pieridae (Whites & Yellows)

  • 58.003 Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines
    • Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines ssp. britannica (Verity, 1908), two adult males, 22nd April 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Fairly common.
  • 58.006 Large White Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758), adult, 26th Aug. 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Fairly common.
  • 58.007 Small White Pieris rapae (Linnaeus, 1758), adult, 30th April 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Fairly common.
  • 58.008 Green-veined White Pieris napi
    • Green-veined White Pieris napi ssp. sabellicae (Stephens, 1827), adults, 22nd April 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Common.
  • 58.010 Clouded Yellow Colias croceus
    • Clouded Yellow Colias croceus ssp. croceus f. croceus (Geoffroy, 1785), adult, 15th July 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Very scarce.
  • 58.013 Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni
    • Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni ssp. rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758), adult, 30th April 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Uncommon.

Sub-total 6 spp.

Family Nymphalidae (Browns, Fritillaries & Aristocrats)

  • 59.001 Monarch Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758), 1933, seen in ST55E, which covers part of Blagdon Lake, but I don’t know if it was actually seen on site or not (source NBN Atlas).
  • 59.002 Wall Lasiommata megera (Linnaeus, 1767), 12th June 2010 (N.R. Milbourne, photo). Extremely rare.
  • 59.003 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
    • Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria ssp. tircis (Godart, 1821), adult, 7th April 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Common.
  • 59.005 Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus
    • Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus ssp. pamphilus (Linnaeus, 1758), adult, 27th May 2003 (N.R. Milbourne).
  • 59.009 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus (Linnaeus, 1758), adult, 1st July 2001 (N.R. Milbourne). Fairly common.
  • 59.010 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
    • Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina ssp. insularis Thomson, 1969, 1st  Aug. 1964 (NBN Atlas), adults, 24th June 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Abundant.
  • 59.011 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
    • Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus ssp. britanniae (Verity, 1915), four adults, 15th July 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Common.
  • 59.012 Marbled White Melanargia galathea
    • Marbled White Melanargia galathea ssp. serena Verity, 1913, adult, 3rd July 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Fairly common.
  • 59.017 Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia
    • Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia ssp. paphia f. paphia (Linnaeus, 1758), 21st Aug. 2010 (N.R. Milbourne). Scarce.
  • 59.019 Dark Green Fritillary Speyeria aglaja (Linnaeus, 1758), 6th July 2020 (M. Cottis, photo). Extremely rare.
  • 59.023 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758), adult, 15th July 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Fairly common.
  • 59.024 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758), 26th Aug. 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Very scarce.
  • 59.026 Peacock Aglais io (Linnaeus, 1758), adult, 7th April 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Common.
  • 59.027 Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae (Linnaeus, 1758), 20th Oct. 1963 (NBN Atlas), two adults, 12th Mar. 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Common.
  • 59.031 Comma Polygonia c-album
    • Comma Polygonia c-album ssp. c-album (Linnaeus, 1758), two adults, 9th Sep. 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Uncommon.
  • 59.033 Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia (Rottemburg, 1775), 5th June 1965 (NBN Atlas – BRERC), one larva, 5th April 2011 (N.R. Milbourne, photo), one adult 6th May 2011 (N.R. Milbourne, photo), one adult 11th-17th May 2025 (BDMG meeting, photo, A. Stevenson), then up to four on subsequent dates. Rare.

Sub-total 16 spp.

Family Lycaenidae (Coppers, Hairstreaks & Blues)

  • 61.001 Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
    • Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas ssp. eleus (Fabricius, 1798), adult, 1st May 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Uncommon.
  • 61.004 Purple Hairstreak Favonius quercus (Linnaeus, 1758), adult, 24th Aug. 2002 (N.R. Milbourne). Scarce.
  • 61.012 Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus
    • Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus ssp. britanna (Verity, 1919), adult, 1st Sept. 2001 (N.R. Milbourne). Uncommon.
  • 61.018 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
    • Common Blue Polyommatus icarus ssp. icarus (Rottemburg, 1775), 21st Sep. 1963 (NBN Atlas), adult, 9th July 2000 (N.R. Milbourne). Fairly common.

Sub-total 4 spp.

Total 31 spp.

Key to abundance:

Extremely rare – five or less records

Very rare – twenty or less records

Rare – less than annual; many years between records

Very scarce – less than annual; typically every 2 or 3 years

Scarce – very small numbers virtually every year

Uncommon – recorded in low numbers each year

Fairly common – occurs in reasonable numbers

Common – regularly occurs in good numbers

Abundant – occurs in large numbers

Bibliography (sources of information):

Agassiz, D.J.L., Beavan, S.D. & Heckford R.J., 2013. A checklist of the Lepidoptera of the British Isles. Field Studies Council, London.

National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Database

UK Butterflies website

Last update: 17th May 2025