UK Butterflies
Building a Community of Responsible Butterfly Enthusiasts in Britain & Ireland
Building a Community of Responsible Butterfly Enthusiasts in Britain & Ireland
This page summarises the pronunciation of scientific names of the UK butterflies. This pronunciation is based on several sources, and the input from several contributors (most notably Guy Padfield). What you see here is the result of a collaboration on the UK Butterflies forum. Click here to see this collaboration.
| Vernacular Name | Genus | Species | Pronunciation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adonis Blue | Polyommatus | bellargus | po-lee-oh-MAY-tuss | bell-AH-guss |
| Albin's Hampstead Eye | Junonia | villida | joo-NO-nee-uh | vill-EE-duh |
| Almond-eyed Ringlet | Erebia | alberganus | e-ruh-BEE-uh | al-bur-GAY-nuss |
| American Painted Lady | Vanessa | virginiensis | va-NESS-uh | vur-jin-ee-EN-siss |
| Apollo | Parnassius | apollo | par-NA-see-uss | a-POL-oh |
| Arran Brown | Erebia | ligea | e-ruh-BEE-uh | li-JEE-uh |
| Bath White | Pontia | daplidice | PON-tee-uh | da-pli-DY-see |
| Berger's Clouded Yellow | Colias | alfacariensis | KO-lee-uss | al-fa-ka-ree-EN-siss |
| Black Hairstreak | Satyrium | pruni | sa-TI-ree-um | PROO-ny |
| Black-veined White | Aporia | crataegi | a-POOR-ee-uh | kra-TEE-jee |
| Blue Pansy | Junonia | oenone | joo-NO-nee-uh | ee-NO-nee |
| Blue Spot Hairstreak | Satyrium | spini | sa-TI-ree-um | SPY-neye |
| Brimstone | Gonepteryx | rhamni | go-NEP-tuh-ricks | RAM-ny |
| Brown Argus | Aricia | agestis | a-RISS-ee-uh | a-JEST-iss |
| Brown Hairstreak | Thecla | betulae | THECK-luh | bet-YOU-lee |
| Brown Playboy | Deudorix | antalus | dee-ooh-DOR-ix | ant-AH-luss |
| Camberwell Beauty | Nymphalis | antiopa | nim-FAY-liss | an-tee-OH-puh |
| Cardinal | Argynnis | pandora | ar-GIN-iss | pan-DOR-uh |
| Cassia's Owl-butterfly | Opsiphanes | cassiae | OP-si-fay-nees | CASS-eye-ee |
| Chalk Hill Blue | Polyommatus | coridon | po-lee-oh-MAY-tuss | KO-ri-don |
| Chequered Skipper | Carterocephalus | palaemon | car-tur-oh-SEFF-a-luss | pal-EE-mon |
| Cleopatra | Gonepteryx | cleopatra | go-NEP-tuh-ricks | clee-oh-PAT-ruh |
| Clouded Yellow | Colias | croceus | KO-lee-uss | KROH-see-uss |
| Comma | Polygonia | c-album | po-lee-GOH-nee-uh | see-AL-bum |
| Common Blue | Polyommatus | icarus | po-lee-oh-MAY-tuss | IK-uh-russ |
| Cryptic Wood White | Leptidea | juvernica | lep-TID-ee-uh | joo-VUR-nee-cuh |
| Dappled White | Euchloe | crameri | you-CLOH-ee | CRAM-er-eye |
| Dark Green Fritillary | Speyeria | aglaja | spee-er-EE-uh | a-GLY-uh |
| Dingy Skipper | Erynnis | tages | e-RIN-iss | TAY-jeez |
| Duke of Burgundy | Hamearis | lucina | ha-mee-AY-riss | loo-SY-nuh |
| Essex Skipper | Thymelicus | lineola | thy-ME-lee-kuss | lin-ee-OH-luh |
| European Map | Araschnia | levana | a-RASH-nee-uh | le-VAY-na |
| False Grayling | Arethusana | arethusa | a-ree-THOO-say-nuh | a-ree-THOO-suh |
| Fiery Skipper | Hylephila | phyleus | hi-lee-FY-luh | FY-lee-us |
| Gatekeeper | Pyronia | tithonus | py-ROH-nee-uh | ti-THOH-nuss |
| Geranium Bronze | Cacyreus | marshalli | ka-SY-ree-uss | mar-SHALL-eye |
| Glanville Fritillary | Melitaea | cinxia | mell-it-EE-uh | SINK-see-uh |
| Gray Hairstreak | Strymon | melinus | STRY-mon | mel-EYE-nuss |
| Grayling | Hipparchia | semele | hi-PAR-kee-uh | se-MEE-lee |
| Great Spangled Fritillary | Speyeria | cybele | spee-er-EE-uh | sy-BEE-lee |
| Green Hairstreak | Callophrys | rubi | KA-loh-friss | ROO-by |
| Green-underside Blue | Glaucopsyche | alexis | glor-koh-SY-kee | al-ECK-siss |
| Green-veined White | Pieris | napi | PEE-err-iss | NAY-py |
| Grizzled Skipper | Pyrgus | malvae | PEER-guss | MAL-vee |
| Heath Fritillary | Melitaea | athalia | mell-it-EE-uh | a-THAY-lee-uh |
| Hermit | Chazara | briseis | sha-ZAR-uh | BRI-see-iss |
| High Brown Fritillary | Fabriciana | adippe | fab-RISS-ee-ah-na | a-DIP-ee |
| Holly Blue | Celastrina | argiolus | sell-us-TRY-nuh | ar-jee-OH-luss |
| Ilex Hairstreak | Satyrium | ilicis | sa-TI-ree-um | ill-I-siss |
| Illioneus Giant Owl | Caligo | illioneus | KA-li-go | ill-ee-OH-nee-us |
| Indian Red Admiral | Vanessa | indica | va-NESS-uh | in-DICK-uh |
| Julia | Dryas | julia | DRY-ass | JOO-lee-ah |
| Lang's Short-tailed Blue | Leptotes | pirithous | lep-TOH-tees | PI-ri-thooz |
| Large Blue | Phengaris | arion | fen-GAR-iss | a-RY-on |
| Large Chequered Skipper | Heteropterus | morpheus | he-tuh-ROP-tuh-russ | MOR-fee-uss |
| Large Copper | Lycaena | dispar | ly-SEE-nuh | DISS-par |
| Large Heath | Coenonympha | tullia | SEE-no-nymph-uh | TOO-lee-uh |
| Large Skipper | Ochlodes | sylvanus | okk-LOH-deez | sil-VAY-nuss |
| Large Tortoiseshell | Nymphalis | polychloros | nim-FAY-liss | po-lee-KLAW-ross |
| Large Wall | Lasiommata | maera | LASS-ee-oh-may-tuh | MEE-ruh |
| Large White | Pieris | brassicae | PEE-err-iss | BRA-si-ky |
| Lesser Purple Emperor | Apatura | ilia | a-pa-TOO-ruh | ILL-ee-uh |
| Long-tailed Blue | Lampides | boeticus | lam-PY-deez | BEE-ti-cuss |
| Lulworth Skipper | Thymelicus | acteon | thy-ME-lee-kuss | AK-tee-on |
| Mallow Skipper | Carcharodus | alceae | car-cha-ROW-dus | AL-see-ee |
| Marbled White | Melanargia | galathea | mell-uh-NAR-jee-uh | ga-la-THEE-uh |
| Marsh Fritillary | Euphydryas | aurinia | you-fee-DRY-uss | or-IN-ee-uh |
| Mazarine Blue | Cyaniris | semiargus | sy-an-EYE-riss | se-mee-AH-guss |
| Meadow Brown | Maniola | jurtina | man-ee-OH-luh | jur-TY-nuh |
| Monarch | Danaus | plexippus | DAN-ee-us | PLEK-see-puss |
| Moorland Clouded Yellow | Colias | palaeno | KO-lee-uss | pal-EE-no |
| Mountain Ringlet | Erebia | epiphron | e-ruh-BEE-uh | E-pee-fron |
| Niobe Fritillary | Fabriciana | niobe | fab-RISS-ee-ah-na | ny-OH-bee |
| Northern Brown Argus | Aricia | artaxerxes | a-RISS-ee-uh | ar-ta-ZURK-seez |
| Oberthür's Grizzled Skipper | Pyrgus | armoricanus | PEER-guss | ar-mor-i-can-uss |
| Orange-tip | Anthocharis | cardamines | an-thoh-KAR-iss | kar-da-MY-neez |
| Painted Lady | Vanessa | cardui | va-NESS-uh | KAR-doo-eye |
| Pale Clouded Yellow | Colias | hyale | KO-lee-uss | hy-AY-lee |
| Peacock | Aglais | io | ag-LAR-iss | EYE-oh |
| Pearl-bordered Fritillary | Boloria | euphrosyne | boh-LOR-ee-uh | you-froz-SY-nee |
| Purple Emperor | Apatura | iris | a-pa-TOO-ruh | EYE-riss |
| Purple Hairstreak | Favonius | quercus | fav-OH-nee-us | KWARE-cuss |
| Purple-edged Copper | Lycaena | hippothoe | ly-SEE-nuh | hippo-THOH-ee |
| Purple-shot Copper | Lycaena | alciphron | ly-SEE-nuh | AL-kee-fron |
| Queen of Spain Fritillary | Issoria | lathonia | iss-OR-ee-uh | la-THOH-nee-uh |
| Red Admiral | Vanessa | atalanta | va-NESS-uh | a-ta-LAN-tuh |
| Ringlet | Aphantopus | hyperantus | a-fan-TOH-puss | hy-per-AN-tuss |
| Scarce Copper | Lycaena | virgaureae | ly-SEE-nuh | vir-GOR-ee-eye |
| Scarce Swallowtail | Iphiclides | podalirius | iff-ee-CLY-deez | poh-da-LI-ree-uss |
| Scarce Tortoiseshell | Nymphalis | xanthomelas | nim-FAY-liss | zan-thoh-ME-lass |
| Scotch Argus | Erebia | aethiops | e-ruh-BEE-uh | EE-thee-ops |
| Short-tailed Blue | Cupido | argiades | kew-PY-doh | ar-jee-AY-deez |
| Shy Saliana | Saliana | longirostris | sal-ee-AY-nuh | long-ee-ROST-riss |
| Silver-spotted Skipper | Hesperia | comma | hes-PEE-ree-uh | KOMM-uh |
| Silver-studded Blue | Plebejus | argus | ple-BEE-uss | AR-guss |
| Silver-washed Fritillary | Argynnis | paphia | ar-GIN-iss | PA-fee-uh |
| Slate Flash | Rapala | manea | ra-PARL-uh | MAN-ee-eye |
| Small Apollo | Parnassius | phoebus | par-NA-see-uss | FEE-bus |
| Small Blue | Cupido | minimus | kew-PY-doh | MI-nim-uss |
| Small Brown Shoemaker | Hypanartia | lethe | HI-pan-art-ee-uh | LETH-ee |
| Small Copper | Lycaena | phlaeas | ly-SEE-nuh | FLEE-uss |
| Small Heath | Coenonympha | pamphilus | SEE-no-nymph-uh | PAM-fi-luss |
| Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary | Boloria | selene | boh-LOR-ee-uh | sell-EE-nee |
| Small Skipper | Thymelicus | sylvestris | thy-ME-lee-kuss | sill-VESS-triss |
| Small Tortoiseshell | Aglais | urticae | ag-LAR-iss | ur-TY-see |
| Small White | Pieris | rapae | PEE-err-iss | RAY-pee |
| Sooty Copper | Lycaena | tityrus | ly-SEE-nuh | tit-EYE-russ |
| Southern Festoon | Zerynthia | polyxena | zare-IN-thee-uh | pol-ee-ZEE-nuh |
| Spanish Festoon | Zerynthia | rumina | zare-IN-thee-uh | roo-ME-nuh |
| Speckled Wood | Pararge | aegeria | pa-RAH-jee | ee-JEER-ee-uh |
| Spotted Fritillary | Melitaea | didyma | mell-it-EE-uh | DID-ee-muh |
| Swallowtail | Papilio | machaon | pa-PILL-ee-oh | ma-KAY-on |
| Tamarindi Owlet | Opsiphanes | tamarindi | OP-si-fay-nees | tam-uh-RIN-deye |
| Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio | glaucus | pa-PILL-ee-oh | GLOR-cuss |
| Turquoise Blue | Polyommatus | dorylas | po-lee-oh-MAY-tuss | door-EYE-lass |
| Wall | Lasiommata | megera | LASS-ee-oh-may-tuh | muh-JEE-ruh |
| Weaver's Fritillary | Boloria | dia | boh-LOR-ee-uh | DEE-uh |
| White Admiral | Limenitis | camilla | li-men-EYE-tiss | ka-MI-luh |
| White-letter Hairstreak | Satyrium | w-album | sa-TI-ree-um | double you-AL-bum |
| Wood White | Leptidea | sinapis | lep-TID-ee-uh | sy-NAY-piss |
| Woodland Grayling | Hipparchia | fagi | hi-PAR-kee-uh | FAY-jy |
| Zebra | Colobura | dirce | coh-loh-BOO-rah | DUR-see |
| When you see | It is pronounced as in |
|---|---|
| a | (c)a(t) |
| ah | (c)a(r) |
| ay | (c)a(pe) |
| e | e(gg) |
| ee | (p)ea |
| eez | (p)eas |
| gin | (be)gin |
| i | i(n) |
| iss | (k)iss |
| jee | jee(p) |
| jin | (ima)gine |
| o | (c)o(t) |
| oh | (n)o |
| oo | (t)oo |
| uh | u(p) |
| ur | (f)ur |
