Butterflies in Belgium
Belgium is home to a wide variety of butterflies, with the country even taking a yearly census to monitor the health of the various populations. They become more visible during the warm summer when the butterflies are most active. The most common species in Belgium include the Red Admiral, the Cabbage White, and the Peacock Butterfly.
Butterflies in Belgium
List of Different Butterfly Species of Belgium
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
- Chestnut Heath (Coenonympha glycerion)
- Comma (Polygonia c-album)
- Cranberry Fritillary (Boloria aquilonaris)
- Dark Green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja)
- Dark Rock Brown (Chazara briseis)
- False Grayling (Arethusana arethusa)
- False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina)
- Glanville Fritillary (Melitaea cinxia)
- Grayling (Hipparchia semele)
- Grison’s Fritillary (Erebia medusa)
- Heath Fritillary (Melitaea athalia)
- Hedge Brown (Pyronia tithonus)
- High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe)
- Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)
- Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera)
- Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino)
- Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia)
- Map (Araschnia levana)
- Marbled White (Melanargia galathea)
- Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)
- Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)
- Meadow Ringlet (Erebia ligea)
- Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
- Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
- Nickerl’s Fritillary (Melitaea aurelia)
- Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe)
- Ocellate Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia)
- Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io)
- Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne)
- Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania)
- Phoebe Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe)
- Poplar Admiral (Limenitis populi)
- Purple Emperor (Apatura iris)
- Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
- Scarce Fritillary (Euphydryas maturna)
- Scarce Heath (Coenonympha hero)
- Scotch Argus (Erebia aethiops)
- Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)
- Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)
- Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)
- Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
- Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
- Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea didyma)
- Tree Grayling (Hipparchia statilinus)
- Tullia’s Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia)
- Violet Frillitary (Boloria dia)
- Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera)
- White Admiral (Limenitis camilla)
- Woodland Brown (Lopinga achine)
- Woodland Grayling (Hipparchia fagi)
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
- Brown Argus (Aricia agestis)
- Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)
- Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)
- Short-tailed Blue (Cupido argiades)
- Small Blue (Cupido minimus)
- Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus)
- Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus)
- Green-underside Blue (Glaucopsyche alexis)
- Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)
- Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe)
- Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus)
- Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae)
- Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus)
- Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra coridon)
- Alcon Blue (Phengaris alcon)
- Large Blue (Phengaris arion)
- Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus)
- Reverdin’s Blue (Plebejus argyrognomon)
- Idas Blue (Plebejus idas)
- Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon)
- Dorylas Blue (Polyommatus dorylas)
- European Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)
- Sloe Hairstreak (Satyrium acaciae)
- Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis)
- Blue-spot Hairstreak (Satyrium spini)
- White-letter Hairstreak (Satyrium w-album)
- Brown Hairstreak (Thecla betulae)
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
- Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)
- Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi)
- Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus)
- Pale Clouded Yellow (Colias hyale)
- Common Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)
- Wood White (Leptidea sinapis)
- Cabbage White (Pieris brassicae)
- Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
- Small White (Pieris rapae)
- Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri)
Metalmark (Riodinidae)
- Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina)
Swallowtail (Papilionidae)
- Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)
- Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae)
- Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages)
- Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)
- Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)
- Large Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus alveus)
- Oberthür’s Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus armoricanus)
- Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami)
- Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae)
- Olive Skipper (Pyrgus serratulae)
- Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius)
- Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon)
- European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)
- Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
There are multiple places where one can experience the butterfly diversity of Belgium, including Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen Nature Reserve, Zwin Nature Park, and Knokke-Heist’s Vlindertuin.
