A large, strong-flying butterfly restricted to the Norfolk Broads, although migrants are occasionally seen elsewhere. Pale yellow wings with black veins and blue margins.
This is one of our rarest and most spectacular butterflies. The British race britannicus is a specialist of wet fenland and is currently restricted to the Norfolk Broads. Here the adults can be seen flying powerfully over open fen vegetation, stopping to feed on flowers such as thistles and Ragged-Robin.
Sometimes referred to as the Mountain Burnet, the forewings of this moth are thinly-scaled with five distinct, though sometimes very small, red spots. Its montane habitat and hairy body help to distinguish this moth.
Active in sunshine with a low, erratic buzzing flight, but will hide amongst vegetation during bad weather. Attracted to flowers, particularly Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil, but also Mountain Everlasting and others.
Superficially similar to several of the other burnet moths, but perhaps closest to the Five-spot Burnet. The New Forest Burnet has a round-tipped forewing with five clearly defined red spots and a dark area beyond. It is smaller and stouter than the Five-spot Burnet, with more slender and weakly clubbed antennae. The Five-spot Burnet also has more pointed wings.
If disturbed the moth displays its orange hindwings with blue-black spots and can produce a clear yellow fluid from two ducts just behind the head.
The larvae can be seen from August to late the following June. The larvae are hairy and known as the "Woolly Bear". They sometimes feed and bask in sunshine and may be seen moving rapidly across bare ground when fully grown. They pupate in a thin cocoon among vegetation on or near the ground.
The only British burnet moth with six red spots on each forewing, although care must be taken with identification, as in some cases the outermost spots can be fused. Rarely the red colour is replaced by yellow.
Flies with a usually slow buzzing flight during sunshine and is attracted to a range of flowers including thistles, knapweeds and scabious.
Very similar to and sometimes difficult to distinguish from the Five-spot Burnet. In general, the forewing of the Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet is longer and more pointed, the upper angle of the hindwing is more pointed and the black border of the hindwing is narrower than those of the Five-spot Burnet. Sometimes, although infrequently, the red colour is replaced by yellow.
Sometimes found commonly. The moth flies in sunshine and is attracted to a range of flowers, including thistles, knapweeds, and scabious.
Very similar to and sometimes difficult to distinguish from the Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet. Consequently, the distribution of the Five-spot Burnet is imperfectly known. In general, the forewing of the Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet is longer and more pointed, the upper angle of the hindwing being more pointed and the black border of the hindwing being narrower than those of the Five-spot Burnet. Rarely the red colour is replaced by yellow.
Sometimes found commonly, the moth flies with a slow buzzing flight during sunshine and visits a range of flowers.
This species is so named due to the colour of the hindwings and the markings on the forewings which make it unmistakeable. There is little variation although on rare occasions the pinkish markings are replaced with yellow, or the forewing is red with a black border or the wings are completely black. Easily disturbed by day and flies in sunshine. Also flies after dark.
The Common Blue is the most widespread blue butterfly in Britain and Ireland and is found in a variety of grassy habitats.
The brightly coloured males are conspicuous but females are more secretive. The colour of the upperwings of females varies from almost completely brown in southern England to predominantly blue in western Ireland and Scotland, but the colour is variable within local populations with some striking examples. Unlike Adonis and Chalkhill Blues, the dark veins do not extend into white fringes of wing margins.
Superficially similar to some other burnets, in particular, the Six-spot Burnet (Z. filipendulae).The male can be found at the flowers of milkworts and thyme, the female usually nectaring at the flowers of the larval foodplant.
Overwinters as a larva, sometimes twice. The larvae are mostly found on shorter plants, usually less than 6cm. Pupates in a dull oval-shaped, dirty whitish cocoon spun amongst grass or other herbage on or near the ground.
