Atlanta, Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) Family Nymphalidae.

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.  
Wingspan 50 - 60 mm. Asia, North America.
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)  Family Nymphalidae.
 
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.
Wingspan 50 - 60 mm.

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.
Wingspan 40 - 50 mm. Europe, Asia.

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.
Wingspan 40 - 50 mm.
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

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. But the Green-veined White has grey greenish dusky vein markings on the undersides of the wings.
The female has two spots on each forewing, the male only one. (Not visible at all my photos)
It hibernates as a pupa.  
Wingspan 40 - 50 mm. March - October.
Widespread across Europe, Asia including the Indian subcontinent and North America.  

German: Rapsweißling   French:

The males are lemon yellow-colored, the females are greenish white. Both have on each wing an orange brown spot. By the light veins, form and colour the wings resemble on a leaf. They always settle with their wings closed.
They overwinter and emerge the following year early.
Flying time from July to October and February - May. Each year there is one generation.
It lays its eggs on the leaves of either Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) or Alder Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) .
Wingspan about 55 mm.
Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia.

German: Zitronenfalter   French: Citron

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

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

This is the subspecies: Pararge aegeria tircis. A brown butterfly with pale yellow spots.
The other subspecies is: Pararge aegeria aegeria. This species has orange spots and occurs in Southern Europe. It can be found on my page about insects in France.
On the forewing is a dark eye-spot. At the rear wing are three or four dark eye-spots with a central white spot.
The wingspan is 32 to 42 mm. 
The eggs are laid in the grass. (half in the shade) The caterpillars feed on various species of grass.
Flight Time: March - October. Twee, three generations..
It overwinters as a caterpillar or as a pupa.

German: Waldbrettspiel   French: Tircis

Uncertain (Hoplodrina octogenaria, synonym Hoplodrina alsines) Family Noctuidae or Owlet moths.  

It resembles the Rustic. But the spots on the wings are smaller. The caterpillar feeds at night on many different herbaceous plants. By day he hides, like the caterpillar in the picture. It hibernates as a caterpillar. He pupate in the soil.
Wingspan: 28 to 34 mm. May- August. One generation.

Other resembling the species are E. gentianaeana March, E. marginana and E. oblongana
Host plants: Bugleweed, ground pine or carpet bugle (Ajuga), self-heal, woundwort or lamb's ears (Stachys) and Jewelweeds (Impatiens). The larva lives in the roots. It actually flew near bugleweed.
In the Netherlands, very rare!! 

If you want to see more Owlet moths, Noctuidae on my site, please visit: Owlet moths, noctuidae 

If you want to see more tortrix moths, leafrollers, Tortricidae on my site, please visit: Tortrix moths, leafrollers

If you want to see more Geometer moths, geometridae on my site, please visit: Geometer moths, geometridae

Photo 23-7-2011.  

  

German: Langhornmotte  French: Coquille d'or

  Male. Photos 5 -5 2010.
Female green longhorn with shorter antennae:  Photo 14-5-2011.

                     Photo 24-4-2010                                                        

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.

It hibernates as a  pupa.
March - May. One generation.
Wingspan 19 - 29 mm.
Europe.

    Photo 8-4-2011  German: Buchenmotte 

Like other members of the family Oecophoridae the palps are very large..
The caterpillar feeds on decayed wood, but can also be found in tree fungus of deciduous trees. It is often found on sandy soils.
It hibernates as a caterpillar.
June - September.
Wingspan 19 - 29 mm.
Europe

  Photo 17-7-2011 

The palps are large. On the wing are three dark spots.
The caterpillar eats both plant and animal substances. For example seeds, wool, skins, dead insects, dried plants. They are also found in bird nests. Like the moth in the picture, they are much in the house and they are harmful.
It hibernates as a caterpillar.
Flying all year. especially in July and August.
Wingspan 15 to 26 mm.
This species is native to Asia, but now it lives in many parts of the world.

   Photos 4-10-2011 

Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth (Hemaris fuciformis) Family Sphingidae.
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. Wingspan: 38-45 mm.
Flight time: May - July. In the Netherlands it is found in the coastal and sandy areas. 
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

Currant Clearwing (Synanthedon tipuliformis) Family clearwing moths (Sesiidae) It is a day-active moth.

Like the broad-bordered bee hawk-moth it has transparent wings. It has a yellow collar. The young butterflies have two yellow lines on the thorax. The black abdomen of the males has three yellow bands. The females have two yellow bands.
Wingspan 17 - 20 mm.
Host plants of the genus Ribes and Spindle Tree. Caterpillars eat the bark and the wood. They hibernate in the branch.
Flight time: May to July. One generation.
Palearctic. Now also  in North America, Asia and Australia.

 Photo 1-6-2011.    German: Johannisbeerglasflügler  

Amblyptilia acanthadactyla Family Plume moths (Pterophoridae).  

I found this moth in the pantry. It flies mostly during dusk. Previously, it was found only in the south of the Netherlands. Now it is a common moth. The moth overwinters.
The caterpillar ives is low plants. Including on currency, on different types of geraniums and heather.
The Amblyptilia acanthadactyla can be seen all year. (Between April and August overlapping generations)

Wingspan: 17 - 23 mm.

Photo 15-6-2011