British Butterflies in size sequence
(UK Lepidoptera from biggest to smallest)
jump to: over 90, 80-90, 70-80, 60-70, 50-60, 40-50, 30-40, under 30
Butterfly books do not agree on sizes. I've compiled this list using sizes from one book but used another to give an approximate size on my butterfly pages. Please regard this page as a rough guide.
Novice butterfly identifiers are most likely to be searching for a larger butterfly and these are at the top of this list. Most people are familiar with "Cabbage Whites" that frequent English gardens. These are 2 species: Large White and Small White. If you are a novice at butterfly identification, you may find it helpful to compare the size with the Small White, which is about 50mm.
Over 90mm
Swallowtail - Papilio machaon
80-90mm
70-80mm
Purple Emperor - Apatura iris
Silver-washed Fritillary - Argynnis paphia
60-70mm
Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta
Large White - Pieris brassicae
White Admiral - Limenitis camilla
Peacock - Inachis io
High Brown Fritillary - Argynnis adippe
50-60mm
Painted Lady - Vanessa cardui
Dark Green Fritillary - Argynnis aglaja
Brimstone - Gonepteryx rhamni
Marbled White - Melanargia galathea
Wall - Lasiommata megera
Small Tortoiseshell - Aglais urticae
Meadow Brown - Maniola jurtina
Grayling - Hipparchia semele
Clouded Yellow - Colias croceus
40-50mm
Small White - Pieris rapae
Ringlet - Aphantopus hyperantus
Comma - Polygonia c-album
Speckled Wood - Pararge aegeria
Scotch Argus - Erebia aethiops
Pearl-bordered Fritillary - Boloria euphrosyne
Orange Tip - Anthocharis cardamines
Marsh Fritillary - Euphydryas aurinia
Heath Fritillary - Melitaea athalia
Green-veined White - Pieris napi
Wood White - Leptidea sinapis
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary - Boloria selene
Large Heath - Coenonympha tullia
Mountain Ringlet - Erebia epiphron
30-40mm
Large Blue - Maculinea arion
Glanville Fritillary - Melitaea cinxia
Gatekeeper - Pyronia tithonus
Silver-studded Blue - Plebeius argus
Silver-spotted Skipper - Hesperia comma
Large Skipper - Ochlodes venata
Common Blue - Polyommatus icarus
Chalkhill Blue - Polyommatus coridon
Brown Hairstreak - Thecla betulae
Purple Hairstreak - Neozephyrus quercus
White-letter Hairstreak - Satyrium w-album
Small Skipper - Thymelicus sylvestris
Holly Blue -Celastrina argiolus
Duke of Burgundy - Hamearis lucina
Chequered Skipper - Carterocephalus palaemon
Black Hairstreak - Satyrium pruni
Adonis Blue - Polyommatus bellargus
Under 30mm
Small Heath - Coenonympha pamphilus
Small Copper - Lycaena phlaeas
Northern Brown Argus - Aricia artaxerxes
Grizzled Skipper - Pyrgus malvae
Green Hairstreak - Callophrys rubi
Essex Skipper - Thymelicus lineola
Brown Argus - Aricia agestis
Lulworth Skipper - Thymelicus acteon
Dingy Skipper - Erynnis tages
Small Blue - Cupido minimus
"Small" is relative! Small Copper & Small Tortoiseshell together on Verbena. 23 August 2003.