This is a list of Irish butterflies, past and present. Details on specific species are relevant to the Irish populations and some details may not be consistent with the species in other parts of its range.
Extinct No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. Extinct in the wild Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range. Critically endangered The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild. Endangered The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Vulnerable The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. Near threatened The species does not meet any of the criteria that would categorise it as risking extinction but it is likely to do so in the future. Least concern There are no current identifiable risks to the species. Data deficient There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species.
Family Hesperiidae (skippers)
Subfamily Hesperiinae (grass skippers) Essex skipper - Thymelicus lineola County Wexford only. Origin uncertain. Small skipper - Thymelicus sylvestris Confirmed in County Kildare in 2011 and 2012.
Subfamily Pyrginae (spread-winged skippers) Dingy skipper – Erynnis tages Mainly Midlands and West. The subspecies baynesi Huggins, 1956 is recorded from the Burren region of Co. Clare and Galway. The populations elsewhere in Ireland are presumably the type subspecies.
Family Pieridae (whites)
Subfamily Dismorphiinae Wood white – Leptidea sinapis Confined to the Burren area of Co. Clare and Co. Galway (here sympatric with Leptidea juvernica) Cryptic wood white - Leptidea juvernica stat. nov.Nelson, B.; Hughes, M. & Bond, K. (2011). "The distribution of Leptidea sinapis (Linnaeus, 1758) and L. reali Reissinger, 1989 (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) in Ireland". Entomologist's Gazette. 62: 213–233. All regions of Ireland. Not known in Britain.
Subfamily Coliadinae Clouded yellow – Colias croceus Migrant and breeding speciesWalsh, F. & Walsh, M. (2014). "The Clouded Yellow butterfly (Colias croceus Fourcroy) overwintering at the Raven, Co. Wexford". Irish Naturalists' Journal, 33: 89-92. Brimstone – Gonepteryx rhamni Burren and Midlands. The Irish subspecies is gravesi Huggins, 1956
Subfamily Pierinae Large white – Pieris brassicae Small white – Pieris rapae Green-veined white – Pieris napi The subspecies britannica (Muller & Kautz, 1939) is only found in Ireland. The British subspecies is sabellicae (Stephens, 1827) Orange tip – Anthocharis cardamines The Irish subspecies is hibernica (Williams, 1916)
Family Lycaenidae (gossamer-winged butterflies)
Subfamily Theclinae Green hairstreak – Callophrys rubi Scattered distribution. Brown hairstreak – Thecla betulae Restricted to Burren and regions north to Lough Mask, Co. Mayo where recent spread seems to be happening.Gammell, M., & Carlin, C. (2021). "First records of the Brown Hairstreak Butterfly (Thecla betulae) (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) from Co. Mayo, Ireland". Irish Naturalists' Journal, 38: 55-56. Purple hairstreak – Neozephyrus quercus Restricted to a few woodland sites.
Subfamily Lycaeninae
Small copper – Lycaena phlaeas The Irish subspecies is hibernica Goodson, 1948
Subfamily Polyommatinae Small blue – Cupido minimus Few regions. Restricted to coastal dunes, limestone grasslands and quarries. Common blue – Polyommatus icarus The Irish subspecies is mariscolore (Kane, 1893) Holly blue – Celastrina argiolus Found across most of Ireland having spread significantly north and west.
Family Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies)
Subfamily Nymphalinae Red admiral – Vanessa atalanta resident reinforced by migrant populations. Painted lady – Vanessa cardui Migrant. Peacock – Aglais io Small tortoiseshell – Aglais urticae Comma – Polygonia c-album recent colonist and now found across most of island having spread from south-east.Harding, J., & Power, B. (2016). "The Comma (Polygonia c-album (L.)) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) breeding in Ireland with notes on larval development". Irish Naturalists' Journal. 35 (1): 63–65.
Subfamily Heliconiinae (longwings) Pearl-bordered fritillary – Boloria euphrosyne Only found in the BurrenRegan, E.C. & Meagher, O. (2011). "The distribution and habitat of the Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterfly Boloria euphrosyne (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Ireland". Bulletin of the Irish Biogeographical Society. 35: 150-161. Dark green fritillary – Speyeria aglaja Coastal species also inland in the Burren and Wicklow Silver-washed fritillary – Argynnis paphia Scattered throughout Ireland, more common in southern regions. Marsh fritillary – Euphydryas aurinia infrasubspecies hibernica Birchall, 1873. Throughout Ireland but mainly Central and West Ireland.
Subfamily Satyrinae (browns) Speckled wood – Pararge aegeria Wall – Lasiommata megera Grayling – Hipparchia semele Coastal and limestone districts. The Irish subspecies are clarensis de Lattin, 1952 (County Clare) and hibernica Howarth, 1971 Gatekeeper – Pyronia tithonus Restricted to South and South-East coasts. Meadow brown – Maniola jurtina The Irish subspecies is iernes Graves, 1930 Ringlet – Aphantopus hyperantus Small heath – Coenonympha pamphilus Scattered throughout Ireland.Prefers drier grassland on well-drained soils. Large heath – Coenonympha tullia Restricted to bogs and absent from most of south and east where habitats largely non-existent.
Vagrant, adventive, extinct and intercepts and exotic species
Extinct Small mountain ringlet – Erebia epiphron Peter Eeles The Irish Mountain Ringlet dispar online Large copper - Lycaena dispar
Vagrants
Pale clouded yellow – Colias hyale Berger's clouded yellow – Colias alfacariensis Short-tailed blue – Cupido argiades (imported on fennel from Italy) Geranium bronze – Cacyreus marshalli (imported on geraniums) Camberwell beauty – Nymphalis antiopa Map – Araschnia levana (formerly introduced and bred) Queen of Spain fritillary – Issoria lathonia Monarch – Danaus plexippus American painted lady – Vanessa virginiensis Swallowtail – Papilio machaon
See also List of moths of Ireland
References Emmet, A.M.; J. Heath; et al. (Ed.), 1990. "The Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland". The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 7 Part 1 (Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae). Harley Books, Colchester, UK. K. G. M. Bond; R. Nash & J. P. O'Connor, An Annotated Checklist of the Irish Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera). The Irish Biogeographical Society in association with the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin, 2006. Harding, J. & Jacob, M. (2013). "Addition of Small Skipper butterfly (Thymelicus sylvestris) to the Irish List and notes on the Essex Skipper (Thymelicus lineola) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)". Irish Naturalists' Journal. 32: 142-144. Mazel, R. (2001). "Leptidea sinapis L., 1758 - L. reali Reissinger, 1989, le point de la situation (Lepidoptera: Pieridae, Dismorphiinae)". Linneana Belgica. 18: 199-202. Nash, D., T. Boyd & D Hardiman (2012). Ireland's Butterflies: A Review. The Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, Dublin. Wilson, C. J.; Goodwin, J. & Bond, K. 2007. "New Irish record of the small skipper butterfly Thymelicus sylvestris (Poda) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)". Irish Naturalists' Journal. 28 (9): 385-386. (Erroneous and later corrected by the authors. Refers to Essex skipper Thymelicus lineola.)
Footnotes
External links Irish Butterflies Butterflies and Moths of Northern Ireland Butterfly Ireland NHM Images of Ireland forms and subspecies on this site. Type Ireland into the search box. Wexford Naturalists' Field Club Essex Skipper Regan, E.C., Nelson, B., Aldwell, B., Bertrand, C., Bond, K., Harding, J., Nash, D., Nixon, D. and Wilson, C.J. Ireland Red List No. 4: Butterflies Database of Irish Lepidoptera.1 Macrohabitats, microsites and traits of Noctuidae and butterflies Ireland Red List No. 4: Butterflies