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The Speckled Wood is a common butterfly and familiar to many observers, especially in woodland where, as its name suggests, it is most often found. The appearance of this butterfly changes from north to south, forming a "cline", where individuals in the north are dark brown with white spots, with those in more southerly locations being dark brown with orange spots. This has given rise to a number of subspecies. In addition to the named subspecies, Thompson (1952) identified a race that formed an altitudinal cline in Snowdonia, south-west of the river Conway, giving it the name drumensis. The single-brooded adults flew in June at high altitude above the tree line, and were large with pale prominent markings. In England this butterfly is found south of a line between Westmorland in the west and South-east Yorkshire in the east, with a few scattered colonies further north. It is also found in the west and north of Scotland, but is absent from the south, the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. It is widespread in both Wales and Ireland, but is absent from exposed high ground. This species is expanding its range and it is anticipated that it will eventually fill the gaps in its distribution. Subspecies: Pararge aegeria aegeria The nominate subspecies was first defined in Linnaeus (1758) as shown here (type locality: Southern Europe and Mauritania). It is not found in the British Isles. Subspecies: Pararge aegeria tircis This subspecies was first defined in Godart (1821) as shown here and as shown in this plate (type locality: Germany). This subspecies occurs through the range of this species, with the exception of Scotland and the Isles of Scilly. The spring brood has larger cream spots than those of the summer brood.
Spring Brood
Summer Brood
Subspecies: Pararge aegeria oblita This subspecies was first defined in Harrison (1949) (type locality: Loch Scresort, Isle of Rhum, Scotland). This subspecies represents the population found in Scotland. Like the subspecies tircis, the spring brood has larger cream spots than those of the summer brood. It differs from the subspecies tircis as follows: 1. The overall appearance is much whiter. 2. There is a much great contrast overall, with the dark markings appearing blacker and the pale spots appearing whiter.
Spring Brood
Summer Brood
Subspecies: Pararge aegeria insula This subspecies was first defined in Howarth (1971) (type locality: Isles of Scilly, England). This subspecies represents the population found on the Isles of Scilly. Like the subspecies tircis, the spring brood has larger spots than those of the summer brood. It differs from the subspecies tircis as follows: 1. The upperside has better-developed orange markings, especially those surrounding the spots on the hindwing. 2. The underside of the forewing has orange, rather than cream, markings toward the centre. 3. The underside of the hindwing has a darker purplish-grey area at the margin, providing more contrast.
Spring Brood
Summer Brood
This species is unique among the butterflies of the British Isles in that it can overwinter in 2 stages, as both a larva and pupa. As a result, there is a mixed emergence with adult butterflies on the wing from April through to September, with a few adults being seen as early as March or as late as October, especially at southern sites. There are 2 or 3 generations, depending on location and weather conditions and adults of later generations are generally darker than those emerging earlier in the year. Subspecies: Pararge aegeria tircis Subspecies: Pararge aegeria oblita Subspecies: Pararge aegeria insula The chart(s) above have been correlated with the phenology plot below, taken from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. The blue line gives average counts over the full data set from 1976 to date, and the red line gives the average for the last year. 
As its names suggests, this butterfly is primarily found in woodland, but can be found anywhere there is sufficient scrub to provide the shaded conditions that this butterfly favours which includes gardens and hedgerows.
The primary larval foodplants are Cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata), Common Couch (Elytrigia repens), False Brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum) and Yorkshire-fog (Holcus lanatus).
Adults feed primarily on Honeydew / Sap (). Bramble (Rubus fruticosus), Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis), Dandelion (Taraxacum agg.), Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica), Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) and Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) are also used.
This butterfly is often seen in more-sheltered conditions than other species and is often the only species seen in dappled shade, or in overcast conditions. The male is territorial and will inhabit a particular clearing or hedgerow, where he will rest on a prominent sunlit perch waiting for a passing female. Other males are soon seen off before the defending male returns to a favourite perch. If no suitable territory can be found, or when there is a large number of males, the male will patrol in search of a mate instead. When a male encounters a receptive female, which has a more laboured flight than the male, she will fall to the ground or a nearby leaf where, after a brief courtship, the pair mate. Both sexes feed from honeydew, but also take nectar from a variety of plants when honeydew is scarce, such as Ragwort. Subspecies: Pararge aegeria tircis Spring Brood
Summer Brood
Subspecies: Pararge aegeria oblita Spring Brood
Summer BroodSubspecies: Pararge aegeria insula Spring Brood
Summer Brood
Description to be completed. Click here to see a full list of aberrations for this species. ab. kulczynskii (Pruffer.Rozpr.Wydz.Polsk.Ak.Umiez(1920).1921.60.Ser.B.p.124.pl.2.f.8.) Male. On the forewings the outer costal spot, the spot immediately below it, and a third one touching the eye-spot on its lower side, remain normal. The other spots are visible but so much obscured that they are hardly lighter than the dark ground colour. Hindwings with the costal and postdiscal spots present but the ocellated marginal band strongly reduced. Transitional to saturatior Crom. but differs chiefly on the hindwings which still show the marginal band of ocellated spots, these are absent in both ab.saturatior and fusca Hackett.
ab. saturatior (Crombrugghe.Rev.Mens.Soc.Ent.Nam.1911.ll.p.45.) = fusca Hackett.Entom.1958.91.p.114.Only four yellow spots remain on the forewing. The two lowest marginal ones near the tornus are absent and the two, one above and one below the apical eye, are very small. The yellow band on the hindwing is completely obliterated. Hackett's fusca is so similar that it would be difficult to draw a line. Fore and hindwings blackish-brown except for two white dots, one above and one below the apical eye, and three other very faint traces of the usual "speckles". Two of these are on the forewings, one on the edge of the discal cell, the other in the central area just above the median vein, the third on the hindwings below the costal margin. Unless the types are seen it would be difficult to know by these descriptions if they are different.
The spherical eggs are very light green in colour are laid singly, sometimes in pairs, on the underside of a leaf of the foodplant. It is believed that temperature is a major factor when a female chooses a plant on which to lay. In spring and autumn eggs are laid on plants in more-open positions than those laid in the summer, when more-shaded plants are used. Eggs hatch after 1 to 3 weeks, depending on temperature.
The young larva sits on the underside of the leaf feeding, both day and night, from the leaf edge toward the midrib. Larger larvae will move from plant to plant to feed and, as winter approaches, will rest at the base of the plant. Depending on the temperature and amount of daylight, some larvae will reach pupation, this species being the only butterfly in the British Isles that passes the winter in 2 different stages - as larva and pupa, although it is believed that only 3rd instar larvae are able to successfully overwinter. This stage can be passed in as little as 25 days when the temperature is high. There are 3 or 4 moults in total.
The pupa is formed head down from a grass stem or nearby leaf litter, attached by the cremaster. This stage can be as short as 10 days for those pupae that go on to produce adults in the same year.
No similar species found.
Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below.
This is one of our few species that is doing well, with a sustained expansion to its range. It is believed that this butterfly has benefited from a reduction in coppicing, resulting in shadier woodland that this butterfly favours. As such, it is not a species of conservation concern.
From The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) (2007 review).
The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.
The species description provided here has been derived from the author's own observations and the information contained in the following works:
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![Speckled Wood - imago - Loch Creran, Inverness [Adrian Riley]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/4403f2c830e403c539af285b56934f0d.jpg "Speckled Wood - imago - Loch Creran, Inverness [Adrian Riley]")
![Speckled Wood - imago - Trenoweth, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly - 01-Apr-12 [Martin Goodey]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/900e7bdb580529fcb8de52857aedda42.jpg "Speckled Wood - imago - Trenoweth, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly - 01-Apr-12 [Martin Goodey]")
![Speckled Wood - imago - St Marys, Isles of Scilly - Unknown date [Adrian Riley]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/7ece3ad121f269c7d9f49bf024f4bf48.jpg "Speckled Wood - imago - St Marys, Isles of Scilly - Unknown date [Adrian Riley]")
![Speckled Wood - imago - St. Martins, Scilly - 08-Jul-05 [Simon Green]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/ac228aa61b2cb57a6b2e8efb225aa1a9.jpg "Speckled Wood - imago - St. Martins, Scilly - 08-Jul-05 [Simon Green]")
![Speckled Wood - aberration - Wiltshire - 2007 [Terry Dabner]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/8c71b133a56a38b96684a5df78bc7af7.jpg "Speckled Wood - aberration - Wiltshire - 2007 [Terry Dabner]")
![Speckled Wood - imago - Quarrylands, nr Taunton, Somerset - 15-Sep-08 [Mark Fletcher]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/5f2a9ed5b2f129c1560b56fb5d14374a.jpg "Speckled Wood - imago - Quarrylands, nr Taunton, Somerset - 15-Sep-08 [Mark Fletcher]")
![Speckled Wood - ovum - Unknown location - Unknown date [REARED] [Brian Clegg]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/fd35c093eab6a9727adc6c4300a2cf72.jpg "Speckled Wood - ovum - Unknown location - Unknown date [REARED] [Brian Clegg]")
![Speckled Wood - larva - Thatcham - 27-Oct-05 (3) [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/8ea75c41bffd6d372efa2af470291e80.jpg "Speckled Wood - larva - Thatcham - 27-Oct-05 (3) [REARED]")
![Speckled Wood - larva - Thatcham - 27-Oct-05 [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/0f18c99d81047cdbbd0e33a946ab6076.jpg "Speckled Wood - larva - Thatcham - 27-Oct-05 [REARED]")
![Speckled Wood - pupa - Thatcham - 26-Apr-06 (2) [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/5bc2e8a05b88130a511f6ed172fb95ee.jpg "Speckled Wood - pupa - Thatcham - 26-Apr-06 (2) [REARED]")
![Speckled Wood - pupa - Thatcham - 27-Oct-05 (2) [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/2a8bdbb7e3c96ccd8887ee5fbd72c85f.jpg "Speckled Wood - pupa - Thatcham - 27-Oct-05 (2) [REARED]")
![Speckled Wood - pupa - Thatcham - 27-Oct-05 [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/f8bfe96e1822d98ea46a6994c5fe28b0.jpg "Speckled Wood - pupa - Thatcham - 27-Oct-05 [REARED]")
