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Whisby Nature Park: The Butterflies of Whisby Nature Park

General flying times and likely places to find each species

	Brown Argus			Large Skipper			Small Copper
	Brimstone			Large White			Small Heath
	Clouded Yellow			Meadow Brown			Small Skipper
	Comma			Orange-tip			Small Tortoiseshell
	Common Blue			Painted Lady			Small White
	Essex Skipper			Peacock			Speckled Wood
	Gatekeeper			Purple Hairstreak			Wall Brown
	Green-veined White			Red Admiral
	Holly Blue			Ringlet
Occasional sightings at Whisby Nature Park
	Camberwell Beauty
	Grizzled Skipper
	White Admiral

If you require further information please contact Phil Porter (Warden), Whisby Nature Park
 

 

 

Brown Argus
	A small brown butterfly with a dark central dash, a row of small orange spots and a pure white margin. Often seen from June to October in dry areas with short grass such as Thorpe Lake Walk and Plover Beach.

 

 

Brimstone
	This large pale yellow butterfly may be seen from February to October. The best places are the Coot Lake Walk and the Magpie Walk especially adjacent to the Dragonfly Lakes.

 

 

Clouded Yellow
	This migrant is irregular in its appearance but is seen in most years these days. It feeds especially on thistles, burdock and knapweed when these are available and can be seen anywhere, usually from July to mid-October. It rests with its wings shut showing a small white 'eye' with a reddish border on the hindwing.

 

 

Comma
	This jagged-winged orange-brown butterfly may be seen March to September. It feeds on soft fruit, especially brambles, and may be seen beside the Pike Drain or on the Magpie Walk among the brambles, particularly the first 100 yards of path beyond the railway bridge.

 

 

Common Blue

This small blue butterfly flies from May to September in two generations and likes rather short rough grass. Only the males are blue. The female resembles the brown argus but has some blue scales near the base of the wing, no central dark dash and is not edged pure white. Look for this species around Thorpe Lake, particularly where pennyroyal mint grows, along the Pike Drain by Coot Lake and the Little Heath area of Grebe Walk.

 

 

Essex Skipper
	As this new colonist is almost impossible to tell from the small skipper without close examination of the antennae, its status is uncertain. It has become quite common in parts of Lincolnshire. It can be looked for from late June to early August.

  

 

Gatekeeper
	This species is usually very common along all the sunny hedgerows with bramble from late June to September. Its orange wings are edged with dusky brown and the black eye-spots have two tiny white dots.

 

 

Green-veined White
	A common white butterfly to be seen almost anywhere from early April to late September. Quite difficult to tell from Small White but the creamy-white underwings are veined with greenish.

 

 

Holly Blue
	This blue butterfly is slightly bigger than the small blue, far less common, often seen alone, addicted to garden areas, quite high flying and very pale on the underside. Also the spring generation flies in April and May, long before the Common Blue appears, although the the summer generation in July to September overlaps. In some years it is very scarce.

 

 

Large Skipper
	This mottled skipper, light and dark brown, is on the wing from early June to mid-August in rough grassy places, path-sides and woodland clearings, especially around Coot and Grebe Walks. It is not always easy to tell from Small Skipper.

 

 

Large White
	This black and white butterfly is seen in varying numbers because of its migratory nature, but from late April to September it might be seen almost everywhere.

 

 

Meadow Brown
	This large dark brown butterfly is common at Whisby and may be seen from late May to September in any sheltered grassy place.

 

 

Orange-tip
	The male is distinctive with its orange wingtips but the female could be mistaken for one of the smaller white species except that her hindwings are strongly mottled with green on the underside. Damp grassland such as the Pike Drain bank and especially the Orchid Glade favour this species from April to June.

 

 

Painted Lady
	A large migratory butterfly varying hugely in numbers from year to year. From June to September it might be seen where there are burdocks and thistles.

 

 

Peacock
	The large familiar beauty which can be seen between February and November in sunny, sheltered flowery areas anywhere. Recently (2001) nowhere near so common as previously.

 

 

Purple Hairstreak
	The only really specialist butterfly resident at Whisby. A small dark species that is usually confined to the tree-tops in the Oakwood where small parties can be seen on the wing. Binoculars should be used from the railway bridge from July to August in sunny weather, very often in the late afternoon. It comes to flowers only very rarely.

 

 

Red Admiral
	Brilliantly coloured and partly migratory, this fine butterfly can be seen, usually in small numbers, along sunny hedgerows especially where there are brambles and other flowers. It may appear in April but most are seen from July to October.

 

 

Ringlet
	Darker and less patterned that the Meadow Brown this related butterfly shares most of its characteristics. Look for the black spots, thinly outlined in cream, on the underside. There is no orange suffusion on the upper wing. Grassy, sunny places from June to August.

 

 

Small Copper
	Bright orange and brown small butterfly found in a variety of habitats wherever docks grow among sheltered grassy areas. It flies from May to October and always flies close to the ground.

 

 

Small Heath
	A small rather drab orange and grey butterfly found in sunny dry areas where the grass is very short. Thorpe Lake and the wider footpaths around Coot Lake are both good for this species.

 

 

Small Skipper
	This small brown butterfly holds its wings in an odd posture and has whirring flight. It can be found in rough grassy areas such as the Pike Drain bank where knapweed and thistles grow. It can be seen from mid-June to mid-August.

 

 

Small Tortoiseshell
	Usually, but not always, extremely common in flowery places everywhere. The years 2000 and 2001 have been very poor for this species. Complex tawny, yellowish and blackish pattern with a line of blue spots. Seen from February to November, though not continuously.

 

 

Small White
	This is very similar to the Green-veined White. It has no special habitat and can be found anywhere in sunny flowery positions from April to October.

 

 

Speckled Wood
	This cream-spotted butterfly is becoming more common all the time and flies in dappled shade where trees overhang paths Try the eastern bank of Grebe Lake or the shady parts of Magpie Walk in April and August to September.

 

 

Wall Brown
	A sun-loving bright brown butterfly with a network of darker markings. It is most frequently seen along the paths next to Pike Drain where it often settles on the ground to sun-bathe from mid-April to September.

 

 

 

 

 

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