Butterflies in the Netherlands
While the Netherlands has several national parks and is known for its biodiversity, climate change and similar issues have taken a grave toll on its wildlife. Most notably, the insect population has drastically declined since the 1990s due to agricultural pollution, including butterflies. Despite this, several butterflies remain, including the Speckled Wood, the Peacock, and the Cabbage White.
List of Different Butterfly Species of the Netherlands
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
- Comma (Polygonia c-album)
- Cranberry Fritillary (Boloria aquilonaris)
- Dark Green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja)
- False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina)
- Glanville Fritillary (Melitaea cinxia)
- Grayling (Hipparchia semele)
- Heath Fritillary (Melitaea athalia)
- Hedge Brown (Pyronia tithonus)
- High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe)
- Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)
- 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)
- Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
- Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
- Niobe Fritillary (Fabriciana niobe)
- Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io)
- Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne)
- Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania)
- Poplar Admiral (Limenitis populi)
- Purple Emperor (Apatura iris)
- Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia)
- Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
- Scarce Heath (Coenonympha hero)
- 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)
- Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia)
- Violet Frillitary (Boloria dia)
- Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera)
- White Admiral (Limenitis camilla)
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
- Alcon Blue (Phengaris alcon)
- Black Hairstreak (Satyrium pruni)
- Brown Argus (Aricia agestis)
- Brown Hairstreak (Thecla betulae)
- Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra coridon)
- Cranberry Blue (Agriades optilete)
- Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous)
- European Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)
- Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)
- Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)
- Idas Blue (Plebejus idas)
- Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis)
- Large Blue (Phengaris arion)
- Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)
- Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus)
- Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus)
- Scarce Large Blue (Phengaris teleius)
- Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus)
- Small Blue (Cupido minimus)
- Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus)
- White-letter Hairstreak (Satyrium w-album)
- Lycaena dispar batavus
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
- Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)
- Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi)
- Berger’s Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis)
- 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)
Swallowtail (Papilionidae)
- Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)
- Papilio machaon gorganus
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae)
- Chequered Skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon)
- Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages)
- Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)
- Large Chequered Skipper (Heteropterus morpheus)
- Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)
- Large Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus alveus)
- Oberthür’s Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus armoricanus)
- Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami)
- Cinquefoil Skipper (Pyrgus cirsii)
- Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae)
- Rozy Grizzled Argus (Pyrgus onopordi)
- Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius)
- Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon)
- European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)
- Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
Some of the best places to see butterflies in the Netherlands include Passiflorahoeve (which has five separate gardens within it), Vlindertuin Vlindorado, and Orchideeën Hoeve. The last one is the largest butterfly house in all of Europe.