List of butterflies of Ireland

This is a list of Irish butterflies, past and present. Details on specific species are relevant to the Irish populations and some details may not be consistent with the species in other parts of its range.

Subfamily Hesperiinae (grass skippers)

 * Essex skipper - Thymelicus lineola County Wexford only. Origin uncertain.
 * Small skipper - Thymelicus sylvestris Confirmed in County Kildare in 2011 and 2012.

Subfamily Pyrginae (spread-winged skippers)

 * Dingy skipper – Erynnis tages Mainly Midlands and West. The subspecies baynesi Huggins, 1956 is recorded from the Burren region of Co. Clare and Galway. The populations elsewhere in Ireland are presumably the type subspecies.

Subfamily Dismorphiinae

 * Wood white – Leptidea sinapis Confined to the Burren area of Co. Clare and Co. Galway (here sympatric with Leptidea juvernica)
 * Cryptic wood white - Leptidea juvernica stat. nov.   All regions of Ireland. Not known in Britain.

Subfamily Coliadinae

 * Clouded yellow – Colias croceus Migrant and breeding species
 * Brimstone – Gonepteryx rhamni Burren and Midlands. The Irish subspecies is gravesi Huggins, 1956

Subfamily Pierinae

 * Large white – Pieris brassicae
 * Small white – Pieris rapae
 * Green-veined white – Pieris napi The subspecies britannica (Muller & Kautz, 1939) is only found in Ireland. The British subspecies is sabellicae (Stephens, 1827)
 * Orange tip – Anthocharis cardamines The Irish subspecies is hibernica (Williams, 1916)

Subfamily Theclinae

 * Green hairstreak – Callophrys rubi Scattered distribution.
 * Brown hairstreak – Thecla betulae Restricted to Burren and regions north to Lough Mask, Co. Mayo where recent spread seems to be happening.
 * Purple hairstreak – Neozephyrus quercus Restricted to a few woodland sites.

Subfamily Lycaeninae

 * Small copper – Lycaena phlaeas The Irish subspecies is hibernica Goodson, 1948

Subfamily Polyommatinae

 * Small blue – Cupido minimus Few regions. Restricted to coastal dunes, limestone grasslands and quarries.
 * Common blue – Polyommatus icarus The Irish subspecies is  mariscolore (Kane, 1893)
 * Holly blue – Celastrina argiolus Found across most of Ireland having spread significantly north and west.

Subfamily Nymphalinae

 * Red admiral – Vanessa atalanta resident reinforced by migrant populations.
 * Painted lady – Vanessa cardui Migrant.
 * Peacock – Aglais io
 * Small tortoiseshell – Aglais urticae
 * Comma – Polygonia c-album recent colonist and now found across most of island having spread from south-east.

Subfamily Heliconiinae (longwings)

 * Pearl-bordered fritillary – Boloria euphrosyne Only found in the Burren
 * Dark green fritillary – Speyeria aglaja Coastal species also inland in the Burren and Wicklow
 * Silver-washed fritillary – Argynnis paphia Scattered throughout Ireland, more common in southern regions.
 * Marsh fritillary – Euphydryas aurinia infrasubspecies hibernica Birchall, 1873. Throughout Ireland but mainly Central and West Ireland.

Subfamily Satyrinae (browns)

 * Speckled wood – Pararge aegeria
 * Wall – Lasiommata megera
 * Grayling – Hipparchia semele Coastal and limestone districts. The Irish subspecies are clarensis de Lattin, 1952 (County Clare) and hibernica Howarth, 1971
 * Gatekeeper – Pyronia tithonus Restricted to South and South-East coasts.
 * Meadow brown – Maniola jurtina The Irish subspecies is iernes Graves, 1930
 * Ringlet – Aphantopus hyperantus
 * Small heath – Coenonympha pamphilus Scattered throughout Ireland.Prefers drier grassland on well-drained soils.
 * Large heath – Coenonympha tullia Restricted to bogs and absent from most of south and east where habitats largely non-existent.

Vagrant, adventive, extinct and intercepts and exotic species


Extinct
 * Small mountain ringlet – Erebia epiphron
 * Large copper - Lycaena dispar

Vagrants
 * Pale clouded yellow – Colias hyale
 * Berger's clouded yellow – Colias alfacariensis
 * Short-tailed blue – Cupido argiades (imported on fennel from Italy)
 * Geranium bronze – Cacyreus marshalli (imported on geraniums)
 * Camberwell beauty – Nymphalis antiopa
 * Map – Araschnia levana (formerly introduced and bred)
 * Queen of Spain fritillary – Issoria lathonia
 * Monarch – Danaus plexippus
 * American painted lady – Vanessa virginiensis
 * Swallowtail – Papilio machaon