Tag Archives: Ringlet

A dark brown butterfly with yellow ringed black and white eyespots resting on a green leaf

Ringlet. Photo: Mark Hardaker

A dark brown butterfly with white fringe to the wings resting on a green leaf

Ringlet. Photo: Mark Hardaker

Mark sent us these two photos taken on 28/06/2021 with his iphone on his Wimborne St. Giles transect – he added that these were the first Ringlets seen this year on the transect.

View of a brown butterfly with yellow ringed black and white eyespots and white fringe to the wings

Ringlet. Photo: John Woodruff

View of a brown butterfly with white fringe to the wings resting on a green leaf

Ringlet. Photo: John Woodruff

John went to Piddles Wood on 26/06/2021 and managed to capture these photos of a Ringlet in between the intermittent bursts of sunshine.  He also told us that he was surprised to find a well worn Ringlet as well considering that they are only just emerging (the first sighting of one reported to Dorset BC this year was on 23/06/2021)

View of a brown butterfly with yellow ringed black and white "eyespots" resting on green vegetation

Ringlet. Photo: Mark Pike

This photo sent in by Mark was taken by him in Piddles Wood yesterday, 23/06/2021 and is the first one of a Ringlet for the Gallery this year.  It also appears to be one of the first sightings of one reported to Dorset BC this year – another sighting of one was also reported at Badbury Rings on the same day.  Last year the date of the first sighting of one reported to Dorset BC was 18 days earlier on 05/06/2020.

White butterfly with brown markings resting on a green leaf

Marbled White. Photo: Rob Morrison

Brown butterfly with yellow, black and white ring markings on the wings

Ringlet. Photo: Rob Morrison

These two photos were taken by Rob on 26/06/2020 whilst he was checking for Elm trees and updating km squares along the bridleways to the east of Badbury Rings and he sent them with the folowing observations:

The beauty of these creatures never fails to impress.  I would hesitate to suggest that there may be not just a small amount of jealousy on the part of the fly studying the Ringlet.

Orange butterfly with black, white and yellow markings resting on white flowers

Small Tortoisehell. Photo: Clive Hill

Brown butterfly with some black spots and a white fringe to the wings resting on a green leaf

Ringlet. Photo: Clive Hill

Clive sent us these photos he took a few days ago with the following comments:

Some photos from my visits to Garston Wood – I’d never been before and I couldn’t believe how many Ringlets there were. You couldn’t count them – everywhere you walked there were dozens of them. I would thoroughly recommend it.

One brown butterfly with yellow rings on the wings and one greyish brown butterfly mating on a green plant

Ringlet and Meadow Brown. Photo: Mark Pike

Two butterflies, one brown with yellow rings and the other greyish brown resting on a persons finger

Ringlet and Meadow Brown. Photo: Mark Pike

Two more photos from Mark sent with the following comments:

Apologies John for rushing off this morning, 24/06/2020. Mind you I am glad I did as I was going to Martin Down but I was certainly never prepared for this bizarre sight!

I realise Martin Down is mostly in Hants but where I photographed these was quite literally on the county border, so they may well have been just in Dorset! To be honest I couldn’t resist sending it to you. Believe it or not this is a Ringlet and Meadow Brown mating. Perhaps we should be on the lookout for Meadowlets at some point?!

Brown butterfly with white spots in gold rings on upper wings

Ringlet: Photo: Caroline Stringer

orange and brown butterfly with jigsaw like edges to wings

Comma. Photo: Caroline Stringer

Caroline visited Alners Gorse on 6/07/19 and sent us photos of a Ringlet and Comma she found there. If you haven’t been to the BC Reserve at Hazelbury Bryan, it is well worth a visit at this time of year as it is alive with many species of butterflies.

view of a Ringlet in grass with wings open wide clearly showing all its spots and rings

Ringlet. Photo: Roger Peart

Roger photographed this slightly faded Ringlet at Canford on 16/07/18. When freshly emerged Ringlets are a rich velvety brown.

This species can be seen from late June to Mid August in a variety of habitats but prefers damp sheltered places such as woodland clearings, woodland edges and rides, meadows, hedgerows, road verges and country lanes, where the full heat from the summer sun can be avoided and where the foodplant is lush.

view of a ringlet showing lovley rings on under hind-wing

Ringlet. Photo: Derek Fowler

Derek was at our Alners Gorse reserve on 23/06/18 and found this beautiful fresh Ringlet.

This is a relatively-common butterfly that is unmistakable when seen at rest – the rings on the hindwings giving this butterfly its common name. The uppersides are a uniform chocolate brown that distinguish this butterfly from the closely-related Meadow Brown. Despite this uniformity, a newly-emerged adult is a surprisingly beautiful insect, the velvety wings providing a striking contrast with the delicate white fringes found on the wing edges. The dark colouring also allows this butterfly to quickly warm up – this butterfly being one of the few that flies on overcast days.

This species can be seen flying from late June- mid August.