Whenever I see a white-coloured butterfly fly past, I ask myself a very simple question to help ID the fluttery fellow - ‘Is he wearing his stripy pyjamas?’
Don’t worry, I haven’t gone stir crazy in the heat! I picked up this very helpful tip (designed for kids but very useful for all Lepidoptera novices) from Catherine Bertrand at Butterfly Conservation when she was at our Portmore Lough reserve last weekend.
As well as getting outside and enjoying the lovely weather we’ve been having in past few days, I’ve also been feeling rather smug at now being able to tell the green veined whites (which have stripy wings) from the stripe-less small and large whites!
Photo credit Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
There are almost 60 different types of butterfly in the UK and around half of that number can be spotted in our gardens.
They range from the rather unassuming, like the brown ringlet, to the gloriously coloured like the common blue.
Photo credit Ron Surgenor
Of course, as well as being a delight to look at, butterflies play an important role in our ecosystems, including providing pollination and natural pest control.
They are also an important element of the food chain and are prey for birds, bats and other insectivorous animals.
Sadly, butterflies are under threat today from unprecedented environmental change. Their fragility makes them quick to react to change so their struggle to survive is a serious warning about our environment.
The good news is that there are small things we can all do to help give butterflies a home.
Try to plant plenty of different nectar plants that flower throughout spring, summer and autumn, in a sheltered, sunny spot.
You can also leave a 'wild area' of your lawn or plant some attractive wild plants, such as scabious and valerian. Don’t forget to include caterpillar food plants if you want butterflies to breed in your garden.
Some adult butterflies hibernate, so provide places for them to hide – like a hedge or ivy on a fence – and you may see early spring butterflies in your garden like this gorgeous peacock :)
Photo credit Grahame Madge (rspb-images.com)
Don't forget you can take part in Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count until 10 August – visit www.bigbutterflycount.org to download an ID sheet and get recording!