Return to Lepidoptera Index | Insect Index

Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia (Linnaeus, 1758)

Subfamily: Heliconiinae (Checklist: 59.017) Barnwell East LNR, Cambridge TL478581: 12 Aug 2021 The main foodplant is Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana) growing in shady or semi-shady positions on the woodland floor. Eggs are laid on trees close to violets. Newly hatched larvae hibernate in crevices and emerge in Spring to commence feeding. NBN Atlas

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758)

• Cambridge, (l)5 Oct 2001, (r)20 Sep 2000.
• Checklist: 59.023
• Some over-winter as adults but numbers are much boosted by migrants from the continent
• In mild autumns adults can still be found flying well into November
• Larval foodplant: stinging nettle

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758)

• Cambridge, 18 Jun 2002
• Checklist: 59.024
• Generally considered to be entirely a migrant, spreading from breeding grounds in North Africa
• Larval foodplant: thistle, also nettles, burdocks and mallows

Peacock Aglais io (Linnaeus, 1758)

Gwydir Street, 23 Apr 2023. Checklist: 59.026 A resident species over-wintering as an adult Larval foodplant: stinging nettle. The larvae of this species also make communal silken webs.

Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae (Linnaeus, 1758)

Cambridge (TL461615), 3 Sep 2002. Checklist: 59.027 Familiar in gardens throughout Britain and one of the first species seen in spring as the adults emerge from hibernation. Always rated as abundant but in the most recent years its numbers seem to have noticeably declined. (I think so anyway!) Larval foodplant: stinging nettle. The larvae make communal silken webs.

Comma Polygonia c-album (Linnaeus, 1758)

Cambridge, (l) 21 Jul 2001, (r) 26 Jun 2002. Checklist: 59.031 Seen here the two summer forms, f. hutchinsoni (left), lighter in colour, which emerges early in summer and produces a second generation; and the normal darker form (right) Larval foodplant: nettle, hop, elm. The undersurface (seen in the defensive posture adopted after a wasp flew past) shows the white mark which gives rise to its English and Latin names.

Return to Lepidoptera Index | Insect Index