Butterflies

Butterflies

Meadow Brown butterfly (Maniola jurtina)

In Cornwall’s summer meadows, the Meadow Brown butterfly peaks with the bloom of Common Knapweed, its low flight and muted wings a constant presence among the purple heads—a perfect mid-season partnership.

By Editorial Team • 5 min read

Butterflies

The Peacock butterfly (Aglais io, also historically known as Inachis io)

In Cornwall’s gardens, the Peacock butterfly and Michaelmas Daisy form a vivid autumn partnership—one feeding for winter survival, the other blooming at the year’s end in a final burst of life.

By Editorial Team • 5 min read

Butterflies

Dark Green Fritillary butterfly (Argynnis aglaja)

Flashing orange above Cornwall’s coastal meadows in late July, the Dark Green Fritillary powers between wild marjoram, knapweed, and thistle blooms. Its summer cycle depends on both vibrant nectar-rich grasslands and hidden patches of violets where the next generation begins.

By Editorial Team • 5 min read

Butterflies

The Common Blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus)

In late spring Cornwall, the Common Blue butterfly dances over golden Bird’s-foot Trefoil on sunlit clifftops. Their life cycles are perfectly in step, with two strong broods and, in rare warm autumns, a third — a timeless coastal partnership shaped by Cornwall’s mild climate.

By Editorial Team • 5 min read

Butterflies

Large White butterfly (Pieris brassicae)

In Cornwall’s early summer, Large White butterflies visit purple Honesty blooms for nectar, their flights peaking with the plant’s flowering. Mild climates, cottage gardens, and nearby crucifers strengthen this seasonal garden partnership.

By Editorial Team • 6 min read

Butterflies

The Glanville Fritillary (Melitaea cinxia)

The Glanville Fritillary, now extinct in Cornwall, depends on Ribwort Plantain in erosion-shaped coastal grasslands. With nearest colonies over 200km away, its return would require restored, connected habitats, long-term care, and protection from trampling during critical breeding months.

By Editorial Team • 6 min read

Butterflies

The Large Heath butterfly (Coenonympha tullia)

The Large Heath, now considered extinct in Cornwall, was bound to Common and Hare’s-tail Cotton Grass in intact peat bogs. Its return would require re-wetted, open bogs, region-wide cooperation, and years of patient monitoring before this delicate summer presence could flutter again.

By Editorial Team • 4 min read

Butterflies

Green Hairstreak butterfly (Callophrys rubi).

In Cornwall’s spring, the Green Hairstreak butterfly gleams against golden gorse. This small, elusive species depends on both gorse and bird’s-foot trefoil for survival, making the protection of scrub mosaics and grassy slopes vital to its future.

By Editorial Team • 6 min read

Butterflies

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae)

In Cornwall’s early autumn, Sedum’s rich blooms fuel Small Tortoiseshell butterflies for hibernation. Gardens with nectar-rich borders, nettles, and undisturbed winter shelters help this vibrant species survive from one season to the next.

By Editorial Team • 5 min read

Butterflies

Wall Brown butterfly (Lasiommata megera)

In late-summer Cornwall, Wall Browns feed on peak-bloom Red Clover, their second brood thriving in the warm, flower-rich grasslands that link butterfly and plant in a finely tuned seasonal partnership.

By Editorial Team • 5 min read

Butterflies

Scotch Argus butterfly (Erebia aethiops)

In Cornwall’s upland meadows, the rare Scotch Argus meets its late-summer ally, Devil’s-bit Scabious. Here, dark wings over purple flowerheads mark a fleeting partnership — one sustained by nectar, fine grasses for larvae, and the linked meadow-heath networks these landscapes depend on.

By Editorial Team • 5 min read