Butterflies at
The Woodland Education Centre

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Comma Species:
Distribution:
On the wing:
Larva:
Larval food plants:
General distribution: 		Comma. Polygonia c-album
Almost anywhere on the reserve.
March to October.
Two generations,adult over winters.
Nettle, Hop and Elm.
All of England south of York, locally common in lowland Wales.
Silver Washed Fritillary Species:
Distribution:
On the wing:
Larva:
Larval food plants:
General distribution: 		Silver-washed Fritillary. Argynnis paphia.
Almost anywhere on the reserve.
July to August.
One generation, the larvae over winter and emerge in spring.
Dog Violet.
The west of England , Wales and Ireland.
sml_pbfrit.JPG (279387 bytes) Species:
Distribution:
On the wing:
Larva:
Larval food plants:
General distribution		 Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary Clossiana selene
One adult found in the Heathland Restoration Area.
May to August
Usually one generation, in warm years butterflies can hatch in late summer.
Violets.
Throughout Britain.
Speckled Wood Species:
Distribution:
On the wing:
Larva:
Larval food plants:

General distribution: 		Speckled Wood. Pararge aegeria.
Almost everywhere on the reserve, prefers shady places.
March to October.
Two or more generations. Both larva and chrysalis over winter.
Annual Meadow Grass, Cock`s Foot, Couchgrass and Wood False Brome.
England, south of Liverpool and the Humber, Wales and Ireland.
Marbled White Species:
Distribution:
On the wing:
Larva:

Larval food plants:
General distribution: 		Marbled White. Melanargia galathea
Open grass areas.
July to August.
One generation. The lavae hibernate after hatching, over wintering until February.
Red Fescue,Timothy, Sheep's Fescue, Cock`s Foot and Tor Grass.
South to south west England, few in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Gatekeeper Species:
Distribution:
On the wing:
Larva:
Larval food plants:
General distribution: 		Gatekeeper. Pyronia tithonus.
Open grass areas close to hedges
July to September.
One generation. The larvae over winter.
Cock`s Foot, Annual Meadow Grass, Couch Grass and Red Fescue.
Common in southern England and Wales, declining elsewhere. more.
Meadow Brown Species:
Distribution:
On the wing:
Larva:
Larval food plants:

General distribution: 		Meadow Brown. Maniola jurtina.
Open grass areas.
Late June to mid September.
One generation. The larvae partially hibernate over winter.
Smooth Meadow Grass, Cock`s Foot, Tor Grass and Slender False Brome.
British Isles, becoming scarcer, localized in Scotland.

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