Wonderful whites

Arguably, the trickiest of the UK butterflies to differentiate are those with white wings.

To distinguish between the small and large white butterflies, you cannot rely on size alone. Their dark wing tip markings are a helpful clue, with small whites having more horizontal than vertical markings, and vice versa for large whites. Also, the dark wingtip isn’t as pronounced in the small white as the large white. The females of small whites and large whites also have two forewing spots instead of the singular one that can be seen on the males. When green-veined whites are added to the mix (particularly the male ones), it gets even trickier! Look for broken wing tip markings on the trailing edge to identify a green-veined white. You may also spot the underside of the hindwing, which has veins highlight by green scales. Despite the name, orange tip female butterflies lack the vibrant orange colour of their male counterparts, making them harder to distinguish from other butterflies. For this species, look for the more rounded wing tips. You can be certain of a female orange tip by seeing the underside of their wings, which are mottled dark green-yellow against a white base.

Beautiful blues

Butterflies with a blue tinge can also cause a stir when it comes to identification. The holly blue and common blue are difficult to differentiate when they are on the wing. To tell these two apart easily, you can look at the underside of their wings. Holly blue have simpler pale blue colouration with scattered black specks, whereas common blue butterflies have orange spots and more complex markings. If you can’t see their underside, look for the black and white chequered fringe along the holly blue’s forewings. Common blue females may also be wrongly identified as brown argus females. To tell these two apart, look for more prominent orange spots on the fore and hindwings, as well as a distinct black discal spot on the forewings for the brown argus.

Ornate oranges

For a butterfly novice, the intricately patterned orange butterflies may be overwhelming. Luckily for us, these butterfly species have distinct features which can help us tell them apart. For example, look for a white fringe on the wings through which dark brown lines extend to identify a heath fritillary. Dark green fritillaries have a central row of black dots patterning their orange wings, in addition to other black markings. The silver-washed fritillary has lots of black dots patterning the distal parts of their wings, with males being smaller and having a deeper orange colouration than females. To spot a comma butterfly, look for scalloped wing edges – they are the most irregularly shaped of the UK butterflies. Don’t be alarmed if we say that the ‘walls have eyes’ because in the case of the wall butterfly, it’s true! Wall butterflies are unique in having a combination of a singular black eyespot on their forewing and four smaller eyespots on the hindwings. The small tortoiseshell can be distinguished from the others by its vibrant blue rings that pattern the wing edges.

Now you're all clued up, why not put your new ID skills to the test and help inform butterfly conservation at the same time? Take part in Butterfly Seekers by reporting any butterflies you see in Essex.

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