The species listed here excludes those species on the British list which may also occur elsewhere in Europe. This is not intended to be a full European list. It just provides information about species we have encountered during our trips to Europe. This is very much 'work in progress' so information may be missing for these species accounts.
Family Hesperiidae (The Skippers)
The butterflies of the Hesperiidae family are commonly as "skippers" because of their rapid flight.
Family Nymphalidae (The Fritillaries, Emperors, Admirals and Browns)
The butterflies of the Nymphalidae family are often referred to as the 'brush-foots' because of the non-functional pair of front legs which are reduced in size and covered with hair-like scales. These forelegs are often tucked under the body of the butterfly. The caterpillars tend to be covered in spines or have other protrusions such as horns on the head or tail. The pupae are angular in shape and are jewel like in appearance with shiny metallic gold or silver spots.
An exception to the above rules are members of the sub-family Satyrinae (The Browns and Ringlets), whose caterpillars
feed on grasses. The caterpillars also have pointed projections at the end of the body. It should be noted that the Marbled White dispite its appearance is a member of this sub-family, its behaviour and life-cycle being similar to other Browns.
The butterflies of the Pieridae family are more commonly known as "whites" and yellows (or sulphurs). The pigment (whites, yellows and oranges) are derived from uric acid waste products which deposit themselves on the wing scales during pupation. The pupae of all species from the Pieridae family are positioned in an upright fashion, with a single silk girdle around the middle of the pupae.