Spring days: May Butterflies
- hiddeninnaturedesi
- Jun 6, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 7, 2025
In 2024, the Butterfly Conservation Society reported the lowest numbers on record in the 14-year history of the Big Butterfly Count. It was a bad summer for many species, including the Small White, the Common Blue, and the Scotch Argus. As a result, the society declared it a national "Butterfly Emergency".
Butterflies are considered an important indicator species, meaning they signal changes or potential changes in their environment. Indicator species are commonly animals or insects that can be easily observed and studied at a low cost. They reveal patterns that mark a change in the environment, caused by factors such as pollution, climate change, and habitat loss. A decline in butterfly populations can be attributed to several issues, including pesticide use in agriculture, the conversion of flower-rich grasslands into shrublands or forests, and extreme weather conditions, such as droughts or cold and wet summers.
Britain is currently home to 59 species of butterflies, including two regular summer migrants: the Painted Lady and the Clouded Yellow. Butterflies are not only beautiful to see, but they also play a crucial role in the ecosystem. They serve as a food source for many birds and act as pollinators during spring and summer. In the last 150 years 5 species of butterfly have become extinct in Britain, and since 1976 butterfly abundance and distribution has dropped by 80%.
For this last spring day's post, I decided to focus butterflies you can see in May. My inspiration came from the recent hot weather, where my lilac bushes and buddleia were covered in butterflies warming their wings in the sun.
Here are three different species of butterfly you can look out for in May, and throughout the rest of the summer.
The Orange-tip
A medium-sized butterfly, the male has white wings with orange-tipped ends, which gives it its name. Its underwings are a pretty mottled green. In contrast, the female Orange-tip has black wingtips but shares the same mottled green underwings. As the female looks so similar to the Small White butterfly, it's best to check the underwing for the mottled green pattern.
Orange-tip butterflies start appearing around the end of April and can be seen until the end of July. They are widespread across Britain and prefer damp habitats like meadows and riverbanks. However, they can also be spotted in hedgerows, woodland, and gardens.
The Large White
When I was a child, I used to refer to the Large White butterflies as "flying cabbages." Notorious among gardeners for their destruction of vegetable crops, the Large White, along with the Small White, have earned the title of 'Cabbage Whites'.
A large-sized butterfly, the males can be identified by their pure white wings, which are trimmed with black at the tips. The female Large White has black spots on each wing along with the black tips.
Large Whites are widespread across the whole of Britain and can be seen in various habitats. However, they are most commonly found thriving in a good vegetable garden with plenty of cabbages. Look out for the Large White from the end of April through to the end of September.
The Speckled Wood
The first time I spotted a Speckled Wood was on Procession Lane in Norfolk while walking the Peddar's Way and Norfolk Coastal path. The lane was narrow, lined with tall oaks, and filled with tangled bramble hedgerows. Along the lane, I spotted several Speckled Woods resting on bramble leaves, warming their wings in the sun.
The dappled brown colouring of the Speckled Wood can sometimes make them hard to spot. They have lighter spots covering their brown wings, which mimic a sun-dappled leaf, and are considered a medium-sized butterfly. Commonly found in damp, shaded woodland, this butterfly blends in well with its surroundings.
Look out for the Speckled Wood starting to appear in April; they can usually be spotted throughout the summer and into late September.
A few more facts about butterflies in Britain
The largest butterfly in Britain is the exotic-looking Swallowtail, found primarily in the Norfolk Broads. The smallest butterfly is the Small Blue.
The Heath Fritillary is the rarest butterfly in Britain, with its habitat limited to coppiced woodlands on acid soil and heathland valleys found in Exmoor.
Out of Britain's 59 butterfly species, eight are classified as endangered on the Great Britain Red List, a tool used to assess the extinction risk of various species.
If you are interested in butterflies and want to do more to help them, then remember to join in on the 2025 Big Butterfly Count that runs from 18th July to 10th August.
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