Dorset Butterflies

Working to save Dorset's butterflies and moths

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Browns

A guide to butterfly species found in Dorset

Dorset butterflies in the browns family include:

Butterfly with brown edges to its wings, and orange inside areas with dark slashes and eyespots on the forewwings.

Gatekeeper

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Brown butterfly seen from the side; hind upperwing in shades of brown with glimpse of eyespot on upperwing

Grayling

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Butterfly with striking white and black markings

Marbled White

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Side view of a butterfly with plainish hindwings and orange forewing with a black eyespot within which is one white dot

Meadow Brown

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Side view of dark brown butterfly with spots formed of yellow rings filled iwth black, then a white spot in the centre.

Ringlet

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Two brown and orange butterflies on a purple flower

Small Heath

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Dark brown butterfly with cream spots on a fern

Speckled Wood

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Orange butterfly with a lot of mid brown lines and marks, plus black eyespots with small white dots in centre

Wall Brown

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Notes

This website covers only the browns found in Dorset. Other browns in the UK are Large Heath, Mountain Ringlet and Scotch Argus.

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Dorset butterflies A-Z

  • Adonis Blue
  • Brimstone
  • Brown Argus
  • Brown Hairstreak
  • Chalkhill Blue
  • Clouded Yellow
  • Comma
  • Common Blue
  • Dark Green Fritillary
  • Dingy Skipper
  • Duke of Burgundy
  • Essex Skipper
  • Gatekeeper
  • Grayling
  • Green Hairstreak
  • Green-veined White
  • Grizzled Skipper
  • Holly Blue
  • Large Skipper
  • Large Tortoiseshell
  • Large White
  • Lulworth Skipper
  • Marbled White
  • Marsh Fritillary
  • Meadow Brown
  • Orange Tip
  • Painted Lady
  • Peacock
  • Pearl-bordered Fritillary
  • Purple Emperor
  • Purple Hairstreak
  • Red Admiral
  • Ringlet
  • Silver-spotted Skipper
  • Silver-studded Blue
  • Silver-washed Fritillary
  • Small Blue
  • Small Copper
  • Small Heath
  • Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
  • Small Skipper
  • Small Tortoiseshell
  • Small White
  • Speckled Wood
  • Wall Brown
  • White Admiral
  • White-letter Hairstreak
  • Wood White
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Butterfly Conservation: Company limited by guarantee, registered in England (2206468)
Registered Office: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QP
Charity registered in England & Wales (254937) and in Scotland (SCO39268)
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