Butterfly and Moth Species Found in Cumbria

Forty-one butterfly species are found in Cumbria. Some are common, others not so common and a few others are relatively rare migrants seen only in 'good' years.

The table below lists the Cumbrian butterflies with access to a brief description, a photograph and suggested localities to see them.

The Flight times are drawn from butterfly behaviour in Cumbria using data held by the Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre at Tullie House.

Butterfly Name Scientific Name UK BAP Status
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni Low
Brown Argus Aricia agestis Not Listed
Camberwell Beauty Nymphalis antiopa Not Listed
Clouded Yellow Collas croceus Low
Comma Polygonia c-album Low
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus Low
Dark Green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja High
Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages High
Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina High
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus Low
Grayling Hipparchia semele High
Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi Low
Green-veined White Pieris napi Low
High Brown Fritillary Argynnis adippe High
Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus Low
Large Heath Coenonympha tullia High
Large Skipper Ochlodes venata Low
Large White Pieris brassicae Low
Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia High
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina Low
Monarch Danaus plexippus Not Assessed
Mountain Ringlet Erebia epiphron High
Northern Brown Argus Plebeius artaxerxes High
Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines Low
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui Low
Peacock Inachis io Low
Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne High
Purple Hairstreak Neozephyrus quercus Low
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta Low
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperanthus Low
Scotch Argus Erebia aethiops Low
Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia Low
Small Blue Cupido minimus High
Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas Low
Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus High
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria selene Medium
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris Low
Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae Low
Small White Pieris rapae Low
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria Low
Wall Brown Iasiommata megera High
White-letter Hairstreak Satyrium w-album High

Species Total Sightings Count Tables

Butterfly Name Sightings Count
Small Tortoiseshell 3488
Red Admiral 3416
Speckled Wood 2825
Peacock 2740
Green-veined White 2230
Meadow Brown 2041
Small White 1844
Orange-tip 1735
Large White 1467
Painted Lady 1443
Small Heath 1364
Common Blue 1342
Comma 1320
Ringlet 1207
Small Skipper 992
Brimstone 903
Wall Brown 818
Large Skipper 758
Small Copper 739
Dark Green Fritillary 686
Holly Blue 621
Gatekeeper 584
Dingy Skipper 459
Grayling 427
Northern Brown Argus 404
Green Hairstreak 372
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary 340
Scotch Argus 272
Small Blue 255
Silver-washed Fritillary 244
Mountain Ringlet 230
High Brown Fritillary 206
Large Heath 203
Purple Hairstreak 162
White-letter Hairstreak 155
Pearl-bordered Fritillary 90
Marsh Fritillary 58
Duke of Burgundy 35
Brown Hairstreak 27
Clouded Yellow 25
Brown Argus 2

Total number of butterfly species: 41. Number of sightings: 38529.

Moth Name Sightings Count
Silver Y 829
Chimney Sweeper 338
Cinnabar 234
Six-spot Burnet 218
Hummingbird Hawk-moth 175
Common Carpet 132
Speckled Yellow 108
Brown Silver-line 102
Shaded Broad-bar 97
Common Heath 97
Burnet Companion 95
Mother Shipton 89
Silver-ground Carpet 79
Yellow Shell 74
Large Yellow Underwing 67
Straw Dot 47
Narrow-bordered 5-spot Burnet 40
Brown China-mark 34
Latticed Heath 33
Emperor Moth 32
Anania Funebris 32
Clouded Buff 31
Drinker 30
Udea lutealis 30
Antler Moth 27
Brimstone Moth 27
Magpie 27
Clouded Border 27
Angle Shades 22
Elephant Hawk-moth 19
Green Carpet 19
Fox Moth 19
Garden Carpet 18
Winter Moth 17
Nemophora degeerella 17
Silver Hook 16
Pyrausta purpuralis 16
Ruby Tiger 15
Evergestis pallidata 14
Nettle-tap Moth 14
Spring Usher 13
Common Marbled Carpet 13
Mother of Pearl 13
Wood Tiger 12
Micropterix aureatella 11
Light Emerald 11
Common White Wave 11
Northern Winter Moth 11
White Ermine 11
Chrysoteuchia culmella 10
Purple Bar 10
Pyrausta aurata 10
Flame Carpet 10
Mottled Umber 10
Argyresthia goedartella 10
Grey Dagger 9
Esperia sulphurella 9
Bird-cherry Ermine 9
Common Wave 9
Common Plume 9
Celypha lacunana 9
Treble-bar 9
Agriphila straminella 8
Grass Wave 8
Agriphila tristella 8
Twin-spot Carpet 8
Lathronympha strigana 8
Torticoides alternella 8
Northern Eggar 8
Crambus lathoniellus 8
Crambus pascuella 8
Pale-brindled Beauty 8
Scoparia pyralella 7
Small Fan-footed Wave 7
Yellow-tail 7
Diplodoma laichartingella 7
Catoptria margaritella 7
Four-dotted Footman 7
Buff-tip 7
Micropterix calthella 6
Purple-bordered Gold 6
Dark Arches 6
July Highflyer 6
Oak Eggar 6
Cream Wave 6
Red-necked Footman 6
Clouded Magpie 6
Small Magpie 6
Pink-barred Sallow 6
Garden Tiger 6
Gold Spangle 6
Vapourer 6
Knot Grass 6
Agapeta hamana 6
Gold Spot 6
Adela reamurella 6
Alder Moth 5
Pyrausta ostrinalis 5
Ancylis badiana 5
Red-green Carpet 5
Common Footman 5
Snout 5
Argent and Sable 5
Cauchas fibulella 5
Twenty-plume Moth 5
Burnished Brass 5
Triangle Plume 5
Small Phoenix 5
Spruce Carpet 5
July Belle 5
Pyrausta despicata 5
Light Brown Apple Moth 5
Phiaris palustrana 5
Diurnea fagella 5
November Moth agg. 5
Lead Belle 5
Manchester Treble-bar 5
Gold Swift 5
Galium Carpet 5
Eyed Hawk-moth 4
Pseudargyrotoza conwagana 4
Micropterix aruncella 4
Stenoptylia pterodactyla 4
Brindled Pug 4
Eucosma cana 4
Epinotia ramella 4
Riband Wave 4
Scarce Umber 4
Crambus perlella 4
Apotomis turbidana 4
Northern Spinach 4
Red Underwing 4
Orange Underwing 4
Pale Tussock 4
Grapholita compositella 4
Large Emerald 4
Mompha locupletella 4
Acleris emargana 3
Pyrausta cingulata 3
Mullein 3
Small China-mark 3
Clouded Silver 3
Phiaris schulziana 2
Small Elephant Hawk-moth 2
Yellow-barred Brindle 2
Marbled White Spot 2
Narrow-winged Pug 2
Streamer 2
Agapeta zoegana 2
Smoky Wave 2
Common Wainscot 2
Elachista argentella 2
Pale-shouldered Brocade 1
Grapholita jungiella 1
Small purple-barred 1
Reddish Light Arches 1
Bee moth 1
Blue-bordered Carpet 1
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing 1
Eucosma aspidiscana 1

Total number of moth species: 160. Number of sightings: 4047.