BC Butterfly logo

Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch

Saving butterflies, moths and our environment



First sightings - Herts & Middx Butterfly Conservation

First and Last Sightings in Hertfordshire and Middlesex


Here are the earliest and latest sightings of our resident and migrant butterflies

Last updated 9 February

For information at a national level. . . .

Butterfly Conservation First Sightings 2024

35 species of butterfly occur most years in Hertfordshire and 30 in Middlesex, together with the occasional migrant or vagrant. The following table lists the first and last sightings in the two counties. Dates highlighted in green signify the earliest during the period and those highlighted in orange signify the latest


Species Date 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Dingy Skipper
Erynnis tages		 First 6-May 5-May 5-May 16-May 21-Apr 26-Apr 10-May 21-Apr 7-May
Last 8-Jul 15-Jun 17-Jun 5-Aug 4-Aug 20-May 12-Jun 29-May 13-Jun
Grizzled Skipper
Pyrgus malvae		 First 21-Apr 12-Apr 12-Apr 1-May 21-Apr 16-Apr 23-Apr 15-Apr 3-May
Last 8-Jun 7-Jun 1-Jun 8-Jun 3-Jun 31-May 14-Jun 22-May 11-Jun
Essex Skipper
Thymelicus lineola		 First 28-Jun 19-Jun 17-Jun 11-Jun 17-Jun 11-Jun 4-Jul 16-Jun 21-Jun
Last 27-Aug 13-Aug 26-Aug 4-Aug 21-Aug 8-Aug 14-Aug 4-Aug 17-Aug
Small Skipper
Thymelicus sylvestris		 First 15-Jun 19-Jun 10-Jun 6-Jun 3-Jun 8-Jun 16-Jun 8-Jun 13-Jun
Last 22-Aug 17-Aug 30-Jul 11-Aug 21-Aug 1-Aug 25-Aug 4-Aug 21-Aug
Large Skipper
Ochiodes sylvanus		 First 26-May 25-May 27-May 27-May 20-May 17-May 31-May 21-May 8-Jun
Last 14-Aug 13-Aug 13-Aug 5-Aug 28-Aug 8-Aug 19-Aug 17-Jul 9-Aug
Orange-tip
Anthocharis cardamines		 First 4-Apr 5-Apr 25-Mar 13-Apr 23-Mar 25-Mar 22-Mar 24-Mar 7-Apr
Last 28-Aug 22-Jun 10-Jun 7-Jul 20-Jun 9-Jun 20-Jul 10-Jun 8-Jun
Large White
Pieris brassicae		 First 6-Apr 4-Apr 3-Apr 17-Apr 21-Mar 10-Jan 17-Apr 12-Apr 30-Apr
Last 11-Oct 6-Oct 3-Nov 13-Oct 22-Oct 1-Oct 27-Oct 16-Oct 14-Sep
Small White
Pieris rapae		 First 23-Mar 22-Mar 15-Mar 26-Mar 25-Feb 22-Mar 21-Mar 10-Mar 3-Apr
Last 26-Oct 28-Oct 3-Nov 29-Oct 18-Oct 14-Oct 27-Oct 11-Nov 30-Oct
Green-veined White
Pieris napi		 First 2-Apr 2-Apr 30-Mar 17-Mar 23-Mar 4-Apr 29-Mar 10-Apr 9-Apr
Last 12-Oct 2-Oct 6-Oct 5-Nov 4-Oct 23-Oct 11-Oct 8-Oct 16-Sep
Clouded Yellow
Colias croceus		 First 9-Jun 26-Jun 7-May 18-Apr 29-Jul 12-Jul 17-Jul 23-May 16-May
Last 22-Sep 4-Oct 10-Nov 2-Nov 23-Sep 1-Oct 6-Sep 29-Oct 10-Sep
Brimstone
Gonepteryx rhamni		 First 15-Jan 4-Feb 4-Jan 10-Jan 2-Feb 1-Feb 20-Feb 1-Jan 15-Feb 25-Jan
Last 29-Dec 14-Dec 16-Nov 14-Nov 30-Dec 1-Dec 9-Nov 29-Oct 20-Nov
Speckled Wood
Pararge aegeria		 First 10-Mar 4-Jan 15-Mar 25-Jan 24-Mar 4-Apr 30-Mar 22-Mar 2-Feb
Last 29-Dec 31-Oct 10-Nov 31-Oct 27-Oct 22-Oct 9-Nov 28-Oct 31-Oct
Small Heath
Coenonympha pamphilus		 First 10-May 6-May 22-Apr 9-May 15-Apr 15-Apr 11-May 30-Apr 7-May
Last 11-Oct 23-Sep 26-Sep 13-Oct 28-Sep 7-Oct 27-Oct 25-Oct 16-Sep
Ringlet
Aphantopus hyperantus		 First 17-Jun 16-Jun 7-Jun 6-Jun 14-Jun 9-Jun 23-Jun 10-Jun 19-Jun
Last 22-Aug 18-Aug 27-Aug 11-Aug 31-Aug 10-Aug 24-Aug 31-Jul 30-Jul
Meadow Brown
Maniola jurtina		 First 4-Jun 5-Jun 27-May 27-May 30-May 25-May 7-Jun 27-May 4-Jun
Last 2-Oct 21-Sep 16-Oct 29-Sep 27-Sep 6-Sep 6-Oct 25-Sep 16-Sep
Gatekeeper
Pyronia tithonus		 First 25-Jun 1-Jul 6-Jun 21-Jun 25-Jun 13-Jun 5-Jul 28-Jun 27-Jun
Last 8-Sep 15-Sep 11-Sep 14-Sep 8-Sep 20-Aug 15-Sep 22-Aug 5-Sep
Marbled White
Melanargia galathea		 First 15-Jun 5-Jun 9-Jun 1-Jun 14-Jun 8-Jun 15-Jun 2-Jun 13-Jun
Last 15-Aug 17-Aug 10-Aug 4-Aug 26-Aug 10-Aug 20-Aug 25-Jul 12-Aug
Silver-washed Fritillary
Argynnis paphia		 First 29-Jun 1-Jul 7-Jun 10-Jun 16-Jun 2-Jun 23-Jun 16-Jun 24-Jun
Last 19-Sep 30-Aug 1-Sep 22-Aug 26-Sep 10-Aug 13-Sep 7-Aug 23-Aug
Dark Green Fritillary
Argynnis aglaja		 First 15-Jun 19-Jun 13-Jun 16-Jun 16-Jun 30-May 15-Jun 7-Jun 14-Jun
Last 22-Aug 29-Aug 13-Aug 1-Aug 12-Aug 3-Aug 13-Aug 5-Aug 26-Jul
White Admiral
Limentitis camilla		 First 27-Jun 29-Jun 14-Jun 13-Jun 23-Jun 9-Jun 27-Jun 10-Jun 21-Jun
Last 3-Aug 6-Aug 25-Jul 21-Jul 1-Aug 20-Jul 17-Aug 17-Jul 23-Jul
Purple Emperor
Apatura iris		 First 30-Jun 4-Jul 18-Jun 19-Jun 22-Jun 20-Jun 4-Jul 22-Jun 24-Jun
Last 9-Aug 12-Aug 17-Jul 28-Jul 11-Aug 28-Jul 19-Aug 17-Jul 22-Jul
Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta		 First 9-Jan 7-Feb 2-Jan 2-Jan 18-Jan 9-Jan 26-Feb 1-Jan 5-Feb 2-Jan
Last 28-Dec 22-Dec 31-Dec 3-Dec 7-Dec 22-Oct 12-Dec 25-Nov 23-Dec
Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui		 First 10-Apr 20-Apr 3-Apr 3-Apr 23-Feb 14-Apr 27-Apr 14-Apr 7-Apr
Last 23-Sep 14-Oct 22-Sep 22-Sep 22-Oct 14-Sep 28-Oct 7-Oct 14-Sep
Peacock
Aglais io		 First 14-Jan 21-Mar 17-Feb 27-Jan 8-Jan 3-Jan 21-Jan 30-Jan 13-Jan 10-Jan
Last 12-Nov 12-Nov 22-Nov 4-Nov 13-Nov 17-Dec 18-Nov 23-Nov 6-Nov
Small Tortoiseshell
Aglais urticae		 First 8-Feb 30-Jan 5-Jan 12-Jan 14-Feb 9-Jan 24-Feb 1-Jan 13-Feb
Last 28-Dec 30-Sep 6-Nov 13-Nov 23-Dec 7-Nov 9-Nov 15-Aug 3-Sep
Camberwell Beauty
Nymphalis antiopa		 First 9-Mar 30-May 30-May 7-Sep
Last 24-Mar 30-May 30-May 16-Oct
Comma
Polygonia c-album		 24-Feb 7-Mar 2-Jan 4-Jan 11-Mar 28-Jan 7-Jan 21-Feb 1-Feb 19-Feb
Last 12-Nov 29-Nov 9-Dec 2-Dec 27-Oct 17-Sep 22-Nov 3-Oct 16-Sep
Small Copper
Lycaena phlaeas		 First 27-Apr 29-Apr 6-Apr 26-Apr 20-Apr 22-Apr 20-Apr 6-May 30-Apr
Last 26-Oct 18-Oct 13-Nov 17-Nov 28-Oct 22-Oct 17-Oct 29-Oct 16-Sep
Brown Hairstreak
Thecula betulae		 First 19-Jul 28-Jul 18-Jul 26-Jul 14-Jul 30-Jul
Last 6-Sep 19-Sep 11-Sep 3-Sep 10-Sep 15-Sep
Purple Hairstreak
Favonius quercus		 First 30-Jun 25-Jun 17-Jun 11-Jun 1-Jun 9-Jun 22-Jun 16-Jun 22-Jun
Last 26-Sep 8-Sep 27-Aug 11-Aug 6-Sep 11-Aug 8-Sep 13-Aug 6-Sep
Green Hairstreak
Callophrys rubi		 First 18-Apr 4-May 8-Apr 20-Apr 19-Apr 21-Apr 9-Apr 16-Apr 28-Apr
Last 8-Jun 7-Jun 13-Jun 6-Jun 15-Jun 13-Jun 14-Jun 29-May 15-Jun
White-letter Hairstreak
Satyrium w-album		 First 24-Jun 25-Jun 10-Jun 5-Jun 5-Jun 30-May 23-Jun 10-Jun 22-Jun
Last 7-Sep 10-Aug 27-Jul 7-Aug 31-Jul 2-Aug 11-Aug 30-Jul 20-Jul
Small Blue
Cupido minimus		 First 13-May 6-May 5-May 15-May 30-Apr 24-Apr 19-May 10-May 18-May
Last 2-Aug 13-Aug 11-Aug 7-Aug 4-Aug 8-Aug 20-Aug 27-Aug 19-Aug
Holly Blue
Celastrina argiolus		 First 4-Apr 22-Mar 25-Mar 17-Mar 27-Feb 8-Jan 30-Mar 22-Mar 7-Apr
Last 8-Nov 31-Oct 6-Dec 23-Dec 27-Nov 7-Nov 18-Nov 9-Nov 15-Nov
Brown Argus
Aricia agestis		 First 27-Apr 6-May 3-May 14-May 30-Apr 24-Apr 17-May 30-Apr 11-May
Last 1-Oct 2-Oct 27-Oct 25-Oct 23-Sep 28-Sep 22-Sep 25-Oct 16-Sep
Common Blue
Polyommatus icarus		 First 4-May 1-May 5-May 23-Apr 20-Apr 6-May 18-May 6-May 16-May
Last 29-Sep 18-Oct 27-Oct 29-Oct 10-Oct 16-Oct 24-Sep 13-Nov 16-Sep
Adonis Blue
Polyommatus bellargus		 First 20-Aug 8-May 27-May 8-May 22-May
Last 8-Sep 10-Sep 22-Sep 3-Oct 9-Sep
Chalkhill Blue
Polyommatus coridon		 First 29-Jun 2-Jul 28-Jun 28-Jun 2-Jul 22-Jun 4-Jul 22-Jun 6-Jul
Last 19-Sep 24-Aug 1-Sep 1-Sep 12-Sep 10-Sep 18-Sep 22-Aug 9-Sep

The first and last sightings are gathered as the current butterfly season progresses so as to provide up-to-date information about species emergence. Empty entries indicate absence.



Copyright Butterfly Conservation © 2024 Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Privacy and Copyright Statement and Cookie Policy Statement
Butterfly Conservation
Company limited by guarantee, registered in England (2206468)
Registered Office: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QP. Tel: 01929 400 209
Charity registered in England & Wales (254937) and in Scotland (SCO39268). VAT No. GB 991 2771 89

Administrator