There are about eighteen species of butterfly that an observant but casual lepidopterist will see around Keyworth without much effort. Others require some dedicated searching and preparation. In total there are about 33 species that have been recorded in the counties of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire, but some are very local. Here are the ones that occur within a few miles of Keyworth and some notes about where and when they can be seen:

 

I recommend the British Wildlife publication; Pocket Guide to the Butterflies of Great Britain & Ireland by Richard Lewington as affordable and very informative.

 

• Brimstone; One of the earliest on the wing   (and also one of the latest too). The bright buttery yellow male is unmistakeable but they very rarely seem to rest for a photo or to provide a leisurely close view. They can be seen virtually anywhere around Keyworth and are most obvious from March to May.
• Brown Argus; This is a specialist species of chalky grassland and occurs at Gotham hills where the grass is grazed low to the ground and its food plant, Common Rock-rose is present. I found it in Cotgrave Forest in 2009 in habitat that is untypical but to which the species seems to be adapting. It can be confused with female Common Blues, which can be quite brown and then resemble Brown Argus.
• Comma;

  Comma

• Like the Brimstone, the Comma over-winters as an adult so can be seen early in the year, but they are most numerous in late summer. They are widespread and love to feed on over ripe blackberries into October. Their bright coppery appearance often triggers thoughts of a fritillary!

 

 

• Common Blue;

  Common Blue

• This species likes dry, short grassland and flowery meadows. The best places to see them are the East Leake hills which are chalky and have the foodplant, Bird’s foot Trefoil and the flower-rich rides in Cotgrave Forest (though the latter are not publicly accessible). A blue butterfly in Keyworth gardens is likely to be a Holly Blue.

• Essex Skipper; A species that is consolidating its distribution and now occurs widely SE of the Humber-Bristol line. It is extremely similar to the Small Skipper, which I find to be very infrequent locally. When a “small” skipper was seen in Keyworth Meadow in 2007, I checked it carefully and it proved to be Essex Skipper – because of its black (rather than brown) antennae tips.
• Gatekeeper;

  Gatekeeper

• Also called the Hedge Brown, it is common locally and likes some garden herbs such as summer savoury but can be found along the local footpaths in late July and August.

• Green Hairstreak; As with the other hairstreaks this is difficult to see and is sparsely distributed locally. It occurred a few years ago at Ruddington Country Park and may occur in Cotgrave Forest.
• Green-veined White; This is one of three species that needs a careful look otherwise they may be passed off as Small Whites. There are subtle differences in the way they fly but the key point is to observe the underside of the wings when they rest. As the name implies, this otherwise plain butterfly has the veins depicted in pale green. It is common everywhere from April to May and again in August. See also Orange-tip.
• Grizzled Skipper;

  Grizzled Skipper

• This is one that needs special effort to see as it is known at just two or three localities nearby and the only publicly accessible one is the Linear Park at Bingham. It is a tiny inconspicuous butterfly with particular habitat requirements and is a threatened species. Look for it on sunny days in May or June south of Bingham, or better still join a Butterfly Conservation guided walk there one year.

• Holly Blue; In most years I have this gorgeous insect in my garden but in others it doesn’t appear. It is on the edge of its range in Notts and it seems to expand then shrink back southwards. Its upper wings are powdery blue, rather than azure as in the Common Blue but is very much a garden insect especially of you have ivy or holly nearby.

• Holly Blue

  Holly Blue

• Large Skipper;

  Large Skipper

• The emblem of Keyworth Meadow. This is not a species that will occur in gardens but depends on lush rank grassland for its food plant. The skippers are a distinctive shape, resting with their wings overlapping and some careful observation is necessary to be sure of the species but it is not difficult once known.

 

• Large White; I can vouch for the pest status that gardeners give this species having witnessed my Purple-sprouting Broccoli devoured by the ravenous caterpillars. They can be told from Small Whites by their larger size and more extensive blackish wing tips.
• Meadow Brown;

  Meadow Brown

• These are a little bit like big Gatekeepers and are just as common in gardens and farmland. They have a rather grey and brown appearance and fly from June to September.

• Orange-tip; The male of this species will not be confused but the female looks like Small or Green-veined White. Again a look at the underside of the hindwing will differentiate them as this species has clouded green areas on an otherwise white wing – not just the veins as on Green-veined. It is common and widespread and lays its orange eggs on Cuckoo Flower and Jack-by-the-hedge.
• Painted Lady;

  Painted Lady

• This is a migrant species and although it gets to England most years it doesn’t always show up in any numbers. When it does it can be very common and will bustle for space on the buddliea with the other showy species. Its pink and black markings can’t be confused. 2009 is looking to be a very big year for this species as millions migrated north fom Africa following a wet winter. 

• Peacock;

  Peacock

• One of the earliest and easiest to identify. Everyone is familiar with this large and distinctive butterfly which is very common in gardens.

• Purple Hairstreak; There are records from around Old Wood at Bunny but this is a very elusive insect and spends much if its time near the crown of oak trees where it feeds on honeydew.

 

• Red Admiral;

  Red Admiral

•  Like the Peacock, this species too is very distinctive, quite common and enjoys late autumn sunshine well into October.

 

 

• Ringlet;

  Ringlet

• This species can be passed off as the more frequent Meadow Brown but lacks the orangey brown flush and of course has a series of rings near the wing tips, though these can be quite indistinct. It’s less likely to be found in gardens but Cotgrave Forest is a good place for them. They are not usually on the wing until July.

 

• Small Copper;

  Small Copper

• A pretty little, bright butterfly that is widespread but in low numbers. Not a regular garden visitor but they occur for example at Keyworth Meadow and on Bunny Moor.

 

 

• Small Heath; I’ve seen this species in Nottinghamshire at Bingham Linear Park the Great Central Railway and Bunny Moor. It looks a lot like the Gatekeeper and identifying them is not helped by the fact that the male frequently basks with wings closed.

• Small Skipper;

  Small Skipper

• Needs care to distinguish from Large and Essex Skippers and not all that common in my experience. Occurs a Cotgrave CP for example.

 

 

• Small Tortoiseshell;

  Small Tortoiseshell

•  One of the earliest butterflies to emerge, having hibernated as an adult insect and still pretty common here. Regular almost anywhere around Keyworth but in the south of England it has undergone a dramatic crash in numbers, shrinking by 80% in the south-east. 

 

• Small White;

  Small White

• Very common, but don’t assume every white insect of its size is a Small White – check out Green-veined White and female Orange-tip which are nearly as frequent.

 

 

• Speckled Wood; Once unheard of in Notts, this is another species that has expanded its range northwards and recently made it to Scotland. It is now a very common butterfly which always likes to be near some shade where its dappled colours seem perfectly matched.
• Wall;

  Wall

• Never a really common insect in Notts, I only have a note of one in my garden in 1999, it is now extinct here and almost everywhere else except around the coasts of southern England. (I saw some in north Devon last August).

 

 

• White-letter Hairstreak; Another hairstreak and typically elusive. They occur in Old Wood at Bunnyand some experts say they are much more common than generally believed but once again they spend much of their time high in the canopy of their host species, the elm.