Butterflies in Hungary

Around 200 butterflies live in Hungary. Notable species include the European Common Blue, the Purple Emperor, and the Marbled White.

Butterflies in Hungary

Butterflies in Hungary

List of Different Butterfly Species of Hungary

Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)

  • Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io)
  • Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
  • Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia)
  • Purple Emperor (Apatura iris)
  • Freyer’s Purple Emperor (Apatura metis)
  • Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
  • Map (Araschnia levana)
  • False Grayling (Arethusana arethusa)
  • Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)
  • Pallas’ Fritillary (Argynnis laodice)
  • Cardinal (Argynnis pandora)
  • Violet Frillitary (Boloria dia)
  • Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne)
  • Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)
  • Ocellate Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia)
  • Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis daphne)
  • Twin-spot Fritillary (Brenthis hecate)
  • Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino)
  • Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe)
  • Dark Rock Brown (Chazara briseis)
  • Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania)
  • Chestnut Heath (Coenonympha glycerion)
  • False Ringlet (Coenonympha oedippus)
  • Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)
  • Scotch Argus (Erebia aethiops)
  • Large Ringlet (Erebia euryale)
  • Meadow Ringlet (Erebia ligea)
  • Woodland Ringlet (Erebia medusa)
  • Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)
  • Scarce Fritillary (Euphydryas maturna)
  • High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe)
  • Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe)
  • Woodland Grayling (Hipparchia fagi)
  • Tree Grayling (Hipparchia statilinus)
  • Grayling (Hipparchia semele)
  • Southern Marbled Skipper (Hyponephele lupinus)
  • Dusky Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lycaon)
  • Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia)
  • Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera)
  • Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera)
  • European Nettle-tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis)
  • White Admiral (Limenitis camilla)
  • Poplar Admiral (Limenitis populi)
  • Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta)
  • Woodland Brown (Lopinga achine)
  • Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)
  • Marbled White (Melanargia galathea)
  • Esper’s Marbled White (Melanargia russiae)
  • Heath Fritillary (Melitaea athalia)
  • Nickerl’s Fritillary (Melitaea aurelia)
  • Assmann’s Fritillary (Melitaea britomartis)
  • Glanville Fritillary (Melitaea cinxia)
  • False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina)
  • Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea didyma)
  • Phoebe Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe)
  • Eastern Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea telona)
  • Lesser Spotted Frillitary (Melitaea trivia)
  • Dryad (Minois dryas)
  • Hungarian Glider (Neptis rivularis)
  • Pallas’ Sailer (Neptis sappho)
  • Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
  • Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)
  • Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)
  • Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis xanthomelas)
  • Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
  • Comma (Polygonia c-album)
  • Hedge Brown (Pyronia tithonus)
  • Dark Green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja)
  • Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
  • Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)

  • Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus)
  • Alcon Blue (Phengaris alcon)
  • Amanda’s Blue (Polyommatus amandus)
  • Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus admetus)
  • Black Hairstreak (Satyrium pruni)
  • Blue-spot Hairstreak (Satyrium spini)
  • Brown Argus (Aricia agestis)
  • Brown Hairstreak (Thecla betulae)
  • Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra coridon)
  • Chapman’s Blue (Polyommatus thersites)
  • Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon)
  • Dorylas Blue (Polyommatus dorylas)
  • Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous)
  • Eastern Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes vicrama)
  • Eastern Short-tailed Blue (Cupido decolorata)
  • European Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)
  • Geranium Argus (Eumedonia eumedon)
  • Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)
  • Green-underside Blue (Glaucopsyche alexis)
  • Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)
  • Idas Blue (Plebejus idas)
  • Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis)
  • Iolas Blue (Iolana iolas)
  • Lang’s Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous)
  • Large Blue (Phengaris arion)
  • Large Copper (Lycaena dispar)
  • Lesser Fiery Copper (Lycaena thersamon)
  • Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)
  • Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus)
  • Meleager’s Blue (Polyommatus daphnis)
  • Northern Brown Argus (Aricia artaxerxes)
  • Orion Blue (Scolitantides orion)
  • Osiris Blue (Cupido osiris)
  • Provençal Short-tailed Blue (Cupido alcetas)
  • Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe)
  • Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus)
  • Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron)
  • Reverdin’s Blue (Plebejus argyrognomon)
  • Ripart’s Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus ripartii)
  • Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae)
  • Scarce Large Blue (Phengaris teleius)
  • Short-tailed Blue (Cupido argiades)
  • Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus)
  • Sloe Hairstreak (Satyrium acaciae)
  • Small Blue (Cupido minimus)
  • Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
  • Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus)
  • Violet Copper (Lycaena helle)
  • White-letter Hairstreak (Satyrium w-album)
  • Kretania sephirus

Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)

  • Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)
  • Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi)
  • Berger’s Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis)
  • Lesser Clouded Yellow (Colias chrysotheme)
  • Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus)
  • Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow (Colias erate)
  • Pale Clouded Yellow (Colias hyale)
  • Danube Clouded Yellow (Colias myrmidone)
  • Common Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)
  • Fenton’s Wood White (Leptidea morsei)
  • Réal’s Wood White (Leptidea reali)
  • Wood White (Leptidea sinapis)
  • Cabbage White (Pieris brassicae)
  • Dark-veined White (Pieris bryoniae)
  • Persian White (Pieris ergane)
  • Southern Small White (Pieris mannii)
  • Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
  • Small White (Pieris rapae)
  • Eastern Bath White (Pontia edusa)

Metalmark (Riodinidae)

  • Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina)

Swallowtail (Papilionidae) 

Skipper (Hesperiidae)

  • Chequered Skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon)
  • Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages)
  • European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)
  • Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae)
  • Hungaria Skipper (Spialia orbifer)
  • Large Chequered Skipper (Heteropterus morpheus)
  • Large Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus alveus)
  • Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)
  • Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon)
  • Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae)
  • Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae)
  • Oberthür’s Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus armoricanus)
  • Olive Skipper (Pyrgus serratulae)
  • Oriental Skipper (Carcharodus orientalis)
  • Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius)
  • Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami)
  • Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)
  • Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
  • Tufted Skipper (Carcharodus floccifera)
  • Yellow-banded Skipper (Pyrgus sidae)

Some of the best places to see butterflies in Hungary include Aggtelek National Park, Bükk National Park, and hills in Zemplen County.