Atlanta, Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

It is a migratory butterfly found in temperate Europe, Asia and North America. The species is resident only in warmer areas, but migrates north in spring, and sometimes again in autumn. In April the first butterflies arrive in Holland. 
They lay eggs in May June. In July the next generation flies in our garden. 
It loves also rot fruit I ‘ve seen the titmouses peck holes in the plums. Afterwards the Atalantas appear. When I am eating a plum, sometimes an atalanta sits on my hand.
Red admiral caterpillars eat plants of the nettle family
This is my favourite butterfly. Also because it is not shy at all.

I ‘ve taken more photo’s. You can see them on an other page.

Click here to see more atalantas.

German: Admiral   French: Vulcain

Painted Lady, Thistle butterfly, known in North America as the Cosmopolite (Cynthia cardui)

 
These photos are taken in the end of July 2007. It’s also a migratory butterfly. It migrates from North Africa and the Mediterranean to Holland. It ‘s the most widespread butterfly. (All over the world)
The eggs are laid on thistle, mallow, or hollyhock leaves. Adults from northern Europe migrate  in the autumn to North Africa and southern Europe. When they stay they don’t survive the winter.  

German: Distelfalter   French: Vanesse du chardon, vanesse des chardons

German: C-Falter   French: Robert-le-Diable

German: Tagpfauenauge   French: Paon du jour

I don't see it often in the garden, although it is a general butterfly.
It is to recognize  by the edge with blue half moons, which are clearly contrasted against the orange and black.
It hibernates in barns and houses and is therefore often one of the first butterflies in the spring (March)  
In April they put their eggs under the leaves of the nettles. The first generation flies at the end of May and June.  In August, September flies the larger second generation. Sometimes there is a third generation.
The caterpillars feed on nettles.

German: Kleine Fuchs  French: Petite tortue, vanesse de l'ortie

Small White (Pieris rapae) Family Pieridae

In Holland, there are generally 3 generations each year. Small White is creamy white with black tips to the forewings. Females also have two black spots in the center of the forewings. Its caterpillars can be a pest on cultivated cabbages, but it will readily lay eggs on wild members of the cabbage, as Garlic mustard . It hibernates as a pupa.
Wing length 21 to 27 millimetres
It is difficult to take photos, because they are very restless. 
It is widespread across Europe, North Africa and Asia and has also been accidentally introduced to North America, Australia and New Zealand  

German: Kleine Kohlweißling   French: Piéride de la rave, Petit Blanc du chou

Large White or Cabbage White (Pieris brassicae)  Family Pieridae
White wings with black tips on the forewings. Generally more vertical than horizontal (difference with the Small White)  The female also has two black spots on each forewing. . Its caterpillars also feed on cultivated cabbages and members of the cabbage.
Wing length about 32 millimetres
It hibernates as a pupa. They are flying from March to October.
The Large White is common throughout Europe, North Africa and Asia to the Himalayas.  
The caterpillars of a large white eating Annual Honesty or Silver Dollar (Lunaria annua). 
     

German: Große Kohlweißling   French: Piéride du chou

Green-veined White (Pieris napi) Family Pieridae

It rarely lays its eggs on garden cabbages, for it prefers wild crucifers, as Garlic mustard and Hedge mustard. It is often mistaken with the Large and Small Whites. Especially when it is flying.
The female has two spots on each forewing, the male only one.
It hibernates as a pupa. Here on a Annual Honesty or Silver Dollar Widespread across Europe, Asia including the Indian subcontinent and North America  

Flight Time: March - October

German: Rapsweißling   French: Piéride du navet

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamnionepteryx rhamni) Family Pieridae
The male is yellow. The female white with a greenish tinge. Both have an orange spot in the center of each wing.
They hibernate and awake the next year early.
Each year there is one generation. It lays its eggs on the leaves of either Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) or Alder Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula)

Found in Europe, Asia, and even in North Africa.

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) Family Lycaenids or Blues
The bright green caterpillars feed mostly on holly spindles, and ivy. All three shrubs are in our garden. The Holly Blue flies oft high up around trees and bushes in full sunlight.
It ‘s a small, beautiful butterfly. At the upper side of the forewings only the females have broad black borders. But it’s difficult to see, for the adults don’t open their wings oft . They  only open their wings early in the morning or late in the evening to warm up in the sunshine.
It hibernates as a pupa. There are two broods a year.  
   

German: Faulbaum-Bläuling   French: L'azuré des nerpruns

Foodplant: Especially geranium species.

May - October. Two sometimes three generations.

The half-grown caterpillars hibernate. (in litter)

Central and Southern Europe.

German: Kleine Sonnenröschen-Bläuling   French: Collier-de-corail, argus brun

Small Copper, American Copper or Common Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) Family Lycaenids or Blues

The Small Copper belongs to the Blues, although there is not much blue on this butterfly. 
Wingspan: about 25 mm.
April - October. Three generators.
Hosts: Sheep's sorrel (Rumex acetosella) , Common Sorrel or Garden Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
Caterpillar: August - May and May - July. It overwinters as a caterpillar.
The butterfly is found in the  Palearctic and the Nearctic      
   

German: Kleine Feuerfalter   French: Lycaena phlaeas

The colour of the female is more beautiful. The female is larger, has also a larger eye-spot on each forewing and has an orange colouration on the forewings.  Linnaeus even thought, they were several species. Generally the male butterfly is most beautiful.
The Meadow Brown occurs in a wide variety of grassland habitats such as roadsides and gardens. The Meadow Brown will also fly in dull weather  
The butterfly on the large photo is a male. The  butterflies on the last three photos are females.

Flight Time: May – August. But the adult lives less than a month.

    These two photos: 4-7-2010.

German: Große Ochsenauge   French: Myrtil

Meal Moth (Pyralis farinalis) Family Snout moths, Pyralid Moths (Pyralidae)

As you can see on the photo, the meal moths rest characteristically with the tip of the abdomen curved up at right-angles to the body. This moth I had found at home. Here it did not stay long, for it was not such a safe place.
The caterpillars feed on stored grain (products) Of course not everyone is happy about that.
Wingspan: 18 - 30 millimeters.
June to August. Several generations.
It is widespread worldwide.

German: Mehlzünsler    

Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella) Family Snout moths, Pyralid Moths (Pyralidae)

Males have a cream white wing base of the forewing. The forewing of the female has a brown green base colour. The females have a snout that protrudes.
Wingspan about 30 mm.
The larvae live primarily in the nests of bumblebees, but also in the nests of bees and wasps. They eat the wax in these nests. Sometimes the whole nest is eaten. They can also gnaw the wood birdhouses. Beekeepers are not so happy with them.
In autumn, the larvae mature and overwinter in cocoons. Often a number of cocoons are spun against each other.
June - August.

  Photo 10-7-2010

German: Hummelnestmotte, Hummel-Wachsmotte, Hummelmotte

Mint moth (Pyrausta aurata) is a day-flying moth. Family grass moths (Crambidae)

It is very small (one centimetre) and its food plant is mint (how it is possible with such a name)  but also species such as marjoram
On the photo it sits however on Green Alkanet, Evergreen Bugloss (Pentaglottis sempervirens) If it rests the feelers lie on its back.
The Mint moth has a gold  spot on the forewing. Its the related to the Purprmott (Pyrausta purpuralis) (more spots).
The larvae of the autumn generation hibernate in their cocoons.
Flying time: April - September. Two generations.
In north-west Europe
5 July I sa a damaged mint moth with a fly on a Thousand-leaf,  Yarrow. The feelers stand up now.  

German: Purpurzünsler  French: Pyrale de la menthe

Although it is also a day-flying moth from the family Crambidae, the Small Magpie flies especially in twilight and also at night.
It is larger than the Mint moth. The wingspan is 24-28 mm.
White wings with dark spots with some yellow body parts.
You can find the butterfly especially in the nettle. Here it is in a yew.
The caterpillar feed on of woundwort and nettle. (but also other plants) It feeds from a rolled or spun leaf in August and September  It hibernates as a cocoon.
It flies in June and July.
West Europe, East Asia.

German: Brennnesselzünsler   

Udea prunalis  Family grass moths (Crambidae) 

It flies at night. It is no day-flying moth like the other members of this family on this page.
It is recognized by the line at the bottom of the wing. Above the line there are two dark dots. The lower dot is larger.

The colour is is light gray brown with white legs and body.

The larvae feed on the leaves of a wide range plants, trees, shrubs.
The young caterpillar hibernates in a cocoon on a leaf. 
Flying time June - August. One generation.
Wingspan 23 to 26 mm.

   

German: Langhornmotte  French: Coquille d'or

                             Photo 24-4-2010                                                        

The first Dutch Esperia sulphurella is found in 1971 in Melissant (South Holland). Now they are be found more often. Especially in 2009 this year. But they are still listed as rare in the Netherlands. 
Recognized by the white band around the antennae, a yellowish spot on the back and a yellow stripe on the side. (not visible on this photos)
April - June. One generation.
The larvae feed on dead wood. (Beech, oak, blackthorn and bilberry)
Wingspan 12 - 16 mm.

      A year later on the same place 6-5-2010      German: Admiral   French: Vulcain

Features: Brown wings with white spots. It looks like the Incurvaria pectin. The spots of the I. pectin are not as sharply defined. The males have combed antennas. 
The young larva is a leaf miner (May, June). After the first moult, they live on the soil and feed on dry leaves. 
The hostplants are hawthorn (especially in Great-Britain) oak, birch, rose, common bilberry.

The caterpillar hibernates. 
April - June
Wingspan 12 - 16 mm.
Europe.

Noctuidae or Owlet moths A family of robustly-built moths. In the Netherlands there are about 350 species. Most have drab forewings, although some have brightly coloured hindwings.  Many caterpillars live in the soil.

Silver Y (Autographa gamma)

It is of course named for the silvery Y-shaped mark on its forewings. 
It an appetite butterfly is. It is a migratory moth. In spring they arrive from the south in the Netherlands. In the autumn some moths fly south again. They can’t survive the winter.
The larvae feed on a wide range of low plants.
By day it also visit flowers.
Widespread across Europe, parts of Asia and North Africa.  

German: Gammaeule 

Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum) Family Noctuidae or Owlet moths

The double square-spot has pale brown forewings marked with two distinctive black marks. It flies at night in June and July.
It is in Europe a common species.
It hibernates as a larva. In autumn the larvae can be found on lower plants, like Dock and Dandelion.  
The brownish  caterpillar is feeding on a wide variety of plants including birch, blackthorn, bramble, raspberry.    

Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) Family Noctuidae or Owlet moths

A quite large moth. I found it in the kitchen. When I put it outside. I made a photo, when it rested for a moment on the chestnut. Then I have made this photo.
The forewings are quite variable from light brown to almost black. The hindwings are bright orange-yellow with a black sub-terminal band. If it flies away, it confuses the predators.
It is a common butterfly in the Netherlands.

Flying time: May to September.

The species hibernates as a caterpillar and feeds on plants like rubus, nettle and dandelion.  

German: Hausmutter   French: Fiancée

Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) Family Noctuidae or Owlet moths

A beautiful moth which his name has been given by the metallic sheen. The head and crest are striking orange. Behind is a small orange crest.
A few times you see it during the day. This Saturday it was hidden between the leaves, but it remained calm when I photographed it.
Wingspan 28 to 35 mm.
May to October. Two generations. (sometimes three)
Widespread across Europe
Caterpillars: June, July and also in autumn and spring, because the caterpillars overwinter.
They live in a variety of herbaceous plants. E.g. nettle, deadnettle.

German: Messingeule   French: Plusie vert-doré

Coronet (Craniophora ligustri) Family Noctuidae or Owlet moths

Sometimes olive-green suffusion to the darker parts of the forewing.

They live mainly on wild privet, ash and lilac.
It is found in Europe. Especially on sandy soils.

Wingspan: 30 - 40 mm.
April - September. Two generations 
Caterpillars: June - October. 
The species hibernates as a pupa

German: Admiral   French: Vulcain

The chestnut hibernates in the adult stage. End of February it flies again. (depending on weather)
Wingspan 28 - 36 mm.
September - May. One generation.
Europe, North Africa and Western Asia. 

German: Heidelbeer-Wintereule   

Features: Greyish brown with orange spots. Along that spot is a black and white spotted vein. Four prominent small white spots. The lower edge of the wing is jagged. The male has comb-like antennae.
You can find him in a wooded area but also in gardens. They often overwinter inside garages, attics, etc.
This butterfly was stuck in cobwebs. After it was released, I put it on a chair for a few pictures. Then I have removed the cobwebs from the legs. It remained very quiet and then it flew away unharmed.
Host caterpillars: including willow and poplar.
Wingspan 44-48 mm.
Flight: After hibernation: April to June. Next Generation: July-October.
Caterpillar : May to September.
    Photos 6-6-2010

Dark Strawberry Tortrix (Celypha lacunana)
  
It is a beautiful little moth. 
The not fully grown caterpillars hibernates in a cocoon. After the winter they fall down and pupates in a cocoon among the leaflitter.
It will eat from a great variety of plants, shrubs and trees.

In Europe it is a common species.
Flying time from April to September.

French: Tordeuse du fraisier

Acleris notana / Acleris ferrugana  Family Tortricidae or tortrix moths (leafrollers)

Two very similar species. And also very variable. The Acleris on the photo is perhaps Acleris notana, as Acleris ferrugana never gets that dark. 
They can be brown, but they can also have a dotted pattern. The dark half circle near the edge of the upperwing can be lacking. The legs are ringed.  
Wingspan: 14 - 18 mm. 
Two generations a year. First: April-June. The second generation overwinters. 
This moth I found in February. A the day before there was frost. 

German: Admiral   French: Vulcain

Marbled Orchard Tortrix or Green Budworm MothMarbled Orchard Tortrix or Green Budworm Moth (Hedya nubiferana) Family Tortricidae or tortrix moths (leafrollers)
One of some similar species  Hedya. 
Hedya ochroleucana has a large round black spot in the middle, almost always more than half free. The white has a cream color.
Hedya pruniana has a small black spot in the wing section (apex), and slightly larger wings and the border black / white isn't curved.
Hedya nubiferana, two black dots in the middle of the wing.
Wingspan: 15 and 21 mm
May-August. It flies from dusk into the night
Caterpillars: June - autumn. The caterpillars overwinter.
The caterpillar can be found in rowan and hawthorn, but also in apple-pear and plum trees. It damages the fruit and is therefore seen as harmful.
                   

Notocelia rosaecolana Family Tortricidae or tortrix moths (leafrollers)

Similar to the Notocelia trimaculana and Notocelia roborana.
Wingspan 16- 20 mm.
May - August
It is found in the Palearctic ecozone ( Europe, Asia, northern Africa)
The larvae feed on various roses.

Family geometer moths (Geometridae) Also a large family with 26.000 discribed species.
Catepillars generally have only two pairs of prolegs. They are drawing the hind end up to the thoracic legs to form a loop, and then extending the body forward

Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata). Also a commonly moth. Because of the white paint on the wall, it was very difficult to see on a distance.
It usually feeds on crucifers: both cultivated brassicas and wild species such as flixweed, garlic mustard.
It flies in two generations from April  to September and hibernates as a pupa.

German: Garten-Blattspanner  French: Phalène ondée

As most of the moths has disappeared, flies the winter moth at night throughout the winter from October to January. These moths are a male, because the females have no wings.
The female crawl up tree-trunks to await the arrival of males. After mating, females lay their eggs in the tree. The adults die. The caterpillars are in spring an important food source for great tits. The eggs hibernate.
The caterpillars can spin a thread. So the wind can transport it to another tree. (called "ballooning," ) In June they use the thread to descend to the ground. There it pupates. At the end of the Autumn the adults appear.
The caterpillars will feed on any tree or shrub and can be a pest in apple orchards. Formaly there were bound sticky strings around the trunk. When the females crawled up, they sicked to the trunk.
A common species in Europe.  

     German: Kleine Frostspanner  French: cheimatobie, Cheimatobie hiemale, phalène hiémale, petite phalène hiémale

Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstroma truncata) formely Chloroclysta truncata

A variable geometer moth. The middle section of the forewings can be for the most part red, white or yellow light.The moth on the photo is grey.
The hindwings are always pale grey
Every year there are 2 generations. The first time in June, July. The second August, September.
The caterpillar lives on birch, rumex species, bramble and ling.
Wingspan 32 - 39 mm
June - August. Several generations.
Worldwide.

  German: Winkelband-Blattspanner   French: Cidarie roussâtre

A nice little geometer moth,  I regularly see on the window.
Wingspan: 15 - 19 mm.
It flies from March to October. In three or four generations.
They fly from the afternoon until midnight. But they mostly  fly in the twilight.
A huge range of herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees, including ling, Clematis vitalba, hemp-agrimony, erica and laurel.
It hibernites as a pupa.
   

  German: Rotgebänderte Blütenspanner  French: Phalène de l'olivier, fausse eupithécie

It is variable in colour, as you can see at the bottom photo.
  German: Ockergelbe Blattspanner, Brennesselspanner, Löwenzahnspanner   French: Brocatelle d'Or

Riband Wave (Idaea aversata ab. remutata)

This is the form with a light band. (remutata) This form I see most in the garden. (often on a window frame)   

Michael Stemmer thanks for your advice.

  German: Breitgebänderte Staudenspanner, Laub-Kleinspanner, Mausohr-Spanner   French: Ruban ondulé

This light grey to light brown geometer moth  is dusty all over and has a clear dot about in the middle of the wing.
In the Netherlands it is especially be found  in areas with a sandy soil.
 The caterpillars feed on a range of herbaceous plants, including ivy (Hedera) and dandelions.
I often see them on the windowsill. But they fly at night.

May - September. Two generations.
Wingspan: 19 to 21 mm.
Europe and North Asia.

     German: Graue Zwergspanner, Graubestäubter Kleinspanner   

The caterpillar is often found in deciduous trees. The butterfly especially on sandy soils.

May - September. Two generations.
They hibernate as nearly mature larvae.  
Wingspan 42 - 55 mm.
Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. 

      German: Perlglanzspanner  French: Céladon

Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth (Hemaris fuciformis) Family Sphingidae. A day-flying moth.

An easily recognizable moth with a yellow-brown fur with a reddish brown band and white spots on the side. The wings are partly transparent with a red border.
Like a hummingbird it flies from flower to flower and is drinking with his tongue the nectar from the flowers. Include labiates and butterfly bushes. As you can see on the pictures, it moves its wings rapidly.
Flight time: May - July.
In the Netherlands it is found in the coastal and sandy areas.
Wingspan: 38-45 mm.
Europe (except northern Scandinavia), North Africa and Central and East Asia.
Caterpillars feed on snowberry and honeysuckle and other plants. June-August.
They overwinter as pupa among the withered leaves.

       German: Hummelschwärme  French: sphinx fuciforme,  Sphinx-Gazé ou Sphinx du Chèvrefeuille