Guernsey Wildlife &

Nature Photography


Butterflies of Guernsey


There are 19 species of buttefly resident to Guernsey, there is also one species in Herm and two in Sark which are not in Guernsey as well as migrant species which arrive from time to time when weather conditions are suitable for them to cross the water, some of these migrants are seen annually, some much less often and occasionally breeding is noted.



The current Guernsey species list is as follows, migrant species noted:


  • Swallowtail (migrant)
  • Clouded Yellow (Migrant)
  • Brimstone (Migrant)
  • Large White
  • Small White
  • Green-veined White
  • Green Hairstreak
  • Purple Hairstreak
  • Small Copper
  • Long-tailed Blue (Migrant, occasional breeding attempts)
  • Silver-studded Blue (Sark only)
  • Brown Argus
  • Common Blue
  • Holly Blue
  • Red Admiral
  • Painted Lady
  • Small Tortoiseshell
  • Large Tortoiseshell (Migrant)
  • Peacock
  • Comma
  • Queen of Spain Fritillary (Sark only)
  • Dark Green Fritillary (Sark only)
  • Glanville Fritillary
  • Speckled Wood
  • Wall
  • Grayling
  • Gatekeeper
  • Meadow Brown
  • Small Heath (Alderney, Sark and Herm only)
  • Monarch (Rare Migrant)


 I have added photographs below of the species I have seen (shown in bold above):


Clouded Yellow

Image description
Image description
Image description


Large White

Image description
Image description


Small White

Image description


Green-veined White

Image description
Image description
Image description


Green Hairstreak

Image description


Purple Hairstreak

Image description


Small Copper

Image description
Image description


Long-tailed Blue

Image description
Image description
Image description


Brown Argus

Image description
Image description
Image description


Common Blue

Image description
Image description
Image description


Holly Blue

Image description
Image description


Red Admiral

Image description
Image description
Image description


Painted Lady

Image description
Image description
Image description


Small Tortoiseshell

Image description
Image description


Large Tortoiseshell

Image description
Image description
Image description


Peacock

Image description
Image description


Comma

Image description
Image description
Image description
Image description


Glanville Fritilliary

Image description
Image description
Image description
Image description


Speckled Wood

Image description
Image description
Image description


Wall

Image description
Image description


Grayling

Image description
Image description


Gatekeeper

Image description
Image description
Image description
Image description


Meadow Brown

Image description
Image description


Small Heath

Image description
Image description
Image description