White Admiral

This butterfly is widespread in southern England, extending just into Wales and northwards. It has white-banded black wings and a distinctive delicate flight, which has short periods of wing beats followed by long glides. It could be confused with the larger Purple Emperor.

Adults are often found nectaring on Bramble flowers in rides and clearings. It is a fairly shade-tolerant butterfly, flying in dappled sunlight to lay eggs on Honeysuckle.

The White Admiral occurs widely in southern Britain and has spread rapidly since the 1920s, after an earlier contraction. However, population monitoring has shown a dramatic decline in the last 20 years, for reasons that are as yet unclear.

Size and Family

Family – Nymphalids
Size: Medium/Large
Wing Span Range (male to female): 60-64mm

Conservation Status

Butterfly Conservation priority: High
Section 41 species of principal importance under the NERC Act in England
Listed on Section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016
GB Red List (2022): Vulnerable
European threat status: Not threatened

Caterpillar Foodplant

The sole foodplant is Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum), usually in shady positions.

Lifecycle

Habitat

The butterfly uses shady woodland and ride edges and is often associated with neglected or mature woodland, where there are sunny glades with large patches of Bramble to provide nectar for the adults. It is found in both deciduous and mixed deciduous/coniferous woodland.