Speckled Wood

Photo: Alan Watts

Alan says he has seen loads of these cheeky little brown butterflies recently in Filnore Woods.  The speckled wood with its 'cream-on-chocolate' wings likes dappled shade, so you can find it in woods, leafy lanes and even shady gardens.

The adult males either sunbathe on a leaf or patrol up and down a territory, looking for females and rival males.

Photo: Peter Eeles, Butterfly Conservation

The caterpillars feed on various grasses but are hard to find because they are green.  Adult speckled wood butterflies may get nectar from flowers but prefer aphid honeydew.  

It's another of those butterflies that are on the increase, both in abundance and distribution, so you can find it in most of England, Wales and Ireland and in an increasing number of places in Scotland.