Painted Lady

Dear Readers, here at Bug Woman’s Adventures in London I’m always up for something that involves audience participation, so I was delighted to hear that Butterfly Conservation are inviting people to vote for their favourite British butterfly. Well, that’s a bit like choosing your favourite child, in my opinion.I love the early ones, the Brimstones and the Orange Tips…

Orange Tip

I love the ones that crop up on my Buddleia, the Peacocks and the Red Admirals…

Peacock

Red Admiral

I love the Speckled Wood, fluttering in a woodland glade…

Speckled Wood

And I love the Holly Blues and Gatekeepers that turn up in the garden…

Gatekeeper (female)

Holly Blue on Green Alkanet

But I think on balance I would vote for the Painted Lady. It isn’t as showy as its close relatives, the Peacock and the Red Admiral, but it does fly over the Atlas Mountains and the English Channel in order to breed in the UK, and to end up feeding on my Buddleia in the late summer, so it deserves a round of applause in my opinion.

I am a little disappointed that there are no moths, because the Hummingbird Hawk Moth or the Jersey Tiger are both favourites of mine. Maybe next year!

Hummingbird Hawk Moth

Jersey Tiger

So, do go and vote. I will be very interested to see which butterfly wins!

https://britainsfavouritebutterfly.co.uk/

And if you aren’t sure, you can take the ‘Which Butterfly Are You?’ quiz here. Apparently my closest match is the Scotch Argus.