Below is a chart giving an idea of when you are likely to find each butterfly species on the wing. It is specific to Dorset.

See also: Flight Times Excel spreadsheet

Butterfly flight times in Dorset: based on records for 2020-2025

Table cells show number of individuals recorded in weeks that begin with dates at the top of each column.

SPECIES 12-Mar 19-Mar 26-Mar 02-Apr 09-Apr 16-Apr 23-Apr 30-Apr 07-May 14-May 21-May 28-May 04-Jun 11-Jun 18-Jun 25-Jun 02-Jul 09-Jul 16-Jul 23-Jul 30-Jul 06-Aug 13-Aug 20-Aug 27-Aug 03-Sep 10-Sep 17-Sep 24-Sep 01-Oct 08-Oct 15-Oct
Small Skipper 31 30 166 226 1013 2979 5774 8131 8689 8305 3202 1458 458 99 34 8 5 3 2 4
Essex Skipper 1 2 1 20 52 193 391 436 413 105 62 18 3 1
Lulworth Skipper 12 32 106 138 492 704 1450 1427 1390 2163 1845 3161 1439 798 488 140 58 21 4 1 1
Silver-spotted Skipper 4 61 328 178 136 20 6
Large Skipper 2 1 6 72 174 797 1119 2094 2593 2828 2337 1629 1477 532 171 55 32 22 10 7
Dingy Skipper 19 117 554 1110 2238 2621 2758 2067 958 449 79 79 31 12 38 50 89 76 32 14 15 1 5
Grizzled Skipper 9 87 94 398 473 942 1075 1100 978 453 203 42 28 2 2 16 4 1
Wood White 13 58 122 49 105 121 97 26 4 1 3 34 35 17 55 32 1 1 2 1
Clouded Yellow 1 3 2 10 4 13 4 9 13 14 28 10 4 7 6 6 13 38 131 149 285 436 179 202 162 139 345 491 491 187 258 173
Brimstone 485 952 672 1880 2092 2239 1942 2008 2893 2249 2160 1237 646 501 230 354 712 805 2086 1612 1159 2011 1035 1021 221 384 118 166 49 33 56 20
Large White 5 10 62 112 365 450 445 829 731 607 436 271 412 963 2220 4060 5669 7765 5759 3431 3920 2638 3112 2296 2599 2698 2516 889 379 329 122
Small White 12 60 85 212 423 782 1038 1025 1376 1050 930 805 518 668 1367 3061 4808 5739 9364 6311 5340 6614 4671 5741 5378 5775 5605 4644 1831 460 305 125
Green-veined White 1 2 9 63 193 486 649 759 1143 748 546 330 161 279 352 1463 1457 1675 1924 1762 1375 1539 1081 1202 799 583 498 238 89 20 6 1
Orange-Tip 9 32 243 1186 2008 1884 1565 2183 1107 795 463 106 39 13 6 10 19 4 1 6 1 1
Green Hairstreak 2 12 72 117 213 579 498 409 270 149 114 74 82 34 29 15 10 2 1 2 1
Brown Hairstreak 7 13 40 66 62 56 17 21 6 2
Purple Hairstreak 3 15 199 282 359 398 431 320 127 109 26 36 5 1 2
White-Letter Hairstreak 2 28 218 166 90 106 68 19 13 7 1
Small Copper 2 1 12 33 107 187 125 266 271 248 215 108 93 101 182 338 387 687 534 409 517 386 591 470 531 761 828 436 99 74 32
Small Blue 4 29 189 348 984 1616 1370 1038 665 101 122 258 353 477 272 144 100 45 53 24 5 11 5
Silver-Studded Blue 1 21 31 927 1933 13632 11541 18137 9441 8489 4010 1901 966 232 191 37 20 7 67 4 1
Brown Argus 2 34 73 243 388 552 605 204 182 46 36 127 213 490 606 529 951 866 946 447 312 159 96 20 2 6
Common Blue 1 6 42 215 1089 3055 4345 4673 3607 3336 1242 922 907 1416 3132 4355 5039 7357 5467 5135 2569 2167 1158 755 246 42 15 5
Chalkhill Blue 3 2 1 2 5 214 890 2539 3190 3076 2457 1275 649 229 86 23 3 2
Adonis Blue 4 7 87 316 1296 2396 3804 1637 954 210 95 37 21 55 103 161 435 967 3057 1974 2811 1195 724 72 7
Holly Blue 7 14 41 286 499 581 631 1064 648 710 540 262 138 88 77 168 325 631 856 702 1168 714 528 279 156 45 23 6 6 2 3
Duke of Burgundy 3 44 154 305 256 85 169 16 1
White Admiral 1 2 15 151 335 349 190 116 60 18 8 6 2
Purple Emperor 4 14 11 5 6 5 1
Red Admiral 64 94 80 154 143 318 238 273 577 695 513 381 487 817 862 1563 3037 4016 6074 4629 2664 3210 1977 1873 1288 1766 2640 3263 2913 1397 1300 765
Painted Lady 4 2 2 9 11 24 6 47 142 691 393 236 177 271 267 209 413 321 479 495 309 456 260 298 148 211 271 202 110 55 24 8
Small Tortoiseshell 123 310 172 215 199 281 164 123 181 77 130 538 831 1204 939 773 701 460 494 553 463 846 1076 1513 349 266 124 82 35 35 22 11
Peacock 224 852 881 1853 1948 2303 1320 846 930 446 249 329 90 201 183 975 2108 3893 4731 4011 2122 2276 855 507 165 339 285 407 289 113 118 51
Comma 61 243 136 313 182 247 142 65 87 31 36 20 43 213 545 1238 1542 1497 1562 1011 568 506 223 213 156 265 378 453 327 132 82 36
Dark Green Fritillary 2 7 12 123 90 717 796 1087 1101 634 1117 460 306 167 45 24 3 1 1 5
Silver-Washed Fritillary 3 1 13 113 640 1157 1400 1573 1661 1217 855 533 249 159 37 12 3 1
Marsh Fritillary 29 212 682 1492 1493 1151 372 155 22 2 0 0 0
Speckled Wood 2 84 83 523 1264 1876 1562 1262 1750 2114 2502 2937 2265 2152 1346 1222 1642 2000 2680 3029 3332 4364 4216 4939 3882 2847 2760 2794 2174 700 469 264
Wall 1 27 136 408 552 629 471 336 213 78 37 10 31 64 252 766 1042 1016 1087 564 225 75 113 170 236 180 81 39 18
Marbled White 1 5 1 1 1 149 298 4693 12985 18526 20659 18966 17689 6196 2192 530 232 63 14 3 3 1 9
Grayling 7 1 6 3 21 78 313 822 1234 1511 1360 1981 1264 1137 675 343 147 58 4 1
Gatekeeper 1 4 12 1 5 93 93 640 3091 13597 26444 43911 42842 28819 20108 8170 2977 887 232 99 17 5 1
Meadow Brown 1 3 16 78 302 4661 11945 34016 50452 54696 50242 47016 48107 41138 32171 32397 25286 18919 11008 6439 3166 1406 461 148 12 6
Ringlet 4 1 6 61 315 2922 8845 11969 9705 6613 2785 907 247 133 51 12 2 1 5
Small Heath 3 6 140 612 1457 3220 3034 4855 3906 6050 4575 4394 2395 1934 2024 1146 1289 1969 2215 3060 2493 3411 2312 1160 244 25 16 1