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Butterfly Atlas

Butterfly phenology calendar

When butterflies fly: flight season table for 50 species month by month — from spring to autumn.

Butterfly flight calendar

Flight period Not flying Current month
Swallowtails
Swallowtail
Apr–Sep
Apollo
Jun–Aug
Clouded Apollo
May–Jun
Scarce swallowtail
Apr–Sep
Southern festoon
Mar–May
Small Apollo
Jun–Aug
Southern swallowtail
May–Jul
Whites
Large white
Apr–Oct
Small white
Mar–Oct
Green-veined white
Apr–Sep
Black-veined white
May–Jun
Brimstone
Mar–Oct
Orange tip
Apr–Jun
Pale clouded yellow
Jun–Sep
Cleopatra
Mar–Oct
Nymphalids
Small tortoiseshell
Mar–Oct
European peacock
Mar–Oct
Red admiral
Jun–Oct
Painted lady
Jun–Oct
Mourning cloak
Jun–Sep
Large tortoiseshell
Jul–Sep
Comma
Mar–Oct
Silver-washed fritillary
Jun–Aug
Dark green fritillary
Jun–Aug
Queen of Spain fritillary
May–Aug
High brown fritillary
Jun–Aug
White admiral
Jun–Jul
Poplar admiral
Jun–Jul
Purple emperor
Jun–Aug
Lesser purple emperor
Jun–Aug
Glanville fritillary
May–Jul
False heath fritillary
Jun–Aug
Nickerl's fritillary
Jun–Aug
Marbled fritillary
Jun–Aug
Small pearl-bordered fritillary
May–Aug
Blues
Common blue
May–Sep
Large blue
Jun–Jul
Green-underside blue
May–Aug
Purple hairstreak
Jun–Jul
Green hairstreak
Apr–Jun
Amanda's blue
May–Aug
Meleager's blue
Jun–Aug
Small blue
Apr–Aug
Browns
Arran brown
Jun–Aug
Dryad
Jun–Aug
Marbled white
Jun–Aug
Speckled wood
Apr–Oct
Small heath
May–Sep
Grayling
Jun–Sep
Hercules Grayling
Jul–Sep

Data are a guide for the temperate zone of Europe; actual dates vary by region and year.