How good are you at caterpillar and butterfly identification? I know I’ve lost count of the amount of times I have stood clueless as one of my kids holds up a caterpillar on a leaf, asking “what is it?”. So this year I am getting prepared. I have made a printable identification list of 8 Common UK caterpillars and butterflies which will make identifying these beautiful creatures so much easier!
FREE PRINTABLE: Caterpillar and Butterfly Identification Sheet
List of 8 Common UK Caterpillars and Butterflies
1. Small Copper – Lycaena phlaeas
Caterpillar food plants:
- Common Sorrel
- Sheep Sorrel
When to spot a Small Copper butterfly in flight:
- April – October
2. Tortoise Shell – Aglais urticae
Caterpillar food plants:
- Stinging nettles
When to spot a Tortoise Shell butterfly in flight:
- January – December
3. Red Admiral
Caterpillar food plants:
- Stinging nettles
When to spot the Red Admiral in flight:
- March – November
4. Common Blue
Caterpillar food plants:
- White clover
- Common bird’s-foot-trefoil
When to see the Common Blue in flight:
- May-October
5. Orange Tip
Caterpillar plant foods:
- Cuckoo flower
- Garlic mustard
When to see the Orange Tip butterfly in flight:
- April – July
6. Peacock
Caterpillar plant foods:
- Common Nettle
When to see the Peacock butterfly in flight:
- March – September
7. Speckled Wood
Caterpillar plant foods:
- Variety of grasses; meadow grass, false brome, Yorkshire fog
When to see the Speckled Wood butterfly in flight
- March – October
8. Painted Lady
Caterpillar plant foods:
- Thistle
- Stinging nettle
- Mallow
When to see the Painted Lady butterfly in flight:
- May – October
For more details and beautiful illustrations on each of the butterflies in this post, or any others you may spot please visit the RSPB Butterfly site.
Pin for later!
Acknowledgements
We would like to give a special thank you to Peter Eeles & Vince Massimo at UKBUTTERFLIES.CO.UK for the use of their photos.
I highly recommend checking out the above website which has clear photos of each stage of the life cycle for individual butterflies in the UK, pronouciation guides for the scientific names and a detailed flight map for each butterfly.
How about trying some of our other Nature Scavenger Hunts
Minibeast Scavenger Hunt
Signs of Spring Scavenger Hunt
Flowers of Spring Scavenger Hunt
This is brilliant!