Peacock butterfly

When: Spring, summer

Scientific name: Aglais io

Gaelic name: Peacog

Wingspan: 6 - 8cm

Where: feeding on buddleia in towns and gardens, occasionally in woodland clearings

How can something that looks so exotic and striking be one of the most common sights in our towns and gardens? The Peacock butterfly adds a glorious flash of colour and pattern to our urban landscape every summer, enchanting passers-by with its hypnotic 'eyes' on each wing.

The unmistakeable peacock feather-like eye spots of this butterfly are actually a form of defence, intended to alarm and scare away any potential predators. This method must have worked over the years, as thankfully this butterfly is one of the most common in the UK! Most often seen in spring and summer, this buttefly also hibernates throughout winter and can occasionally be seen flying on rare warm November or February days. Adults feed on a range of flowers including buddleia, dandelion and clover, while most caterpillars can be found feeding on common nettles.

Butterflies have long been considered the embodiment of the human soul, depicted frequently in art, writing and film. This association dates back millennia, even to the time of cave paintings in the Pyrenees! It may be the somewhat alien life cycle of butterflies that have caused them to inspire so many romantic notions about what they symbolise to us humans - from undergoing transformations to 'rebirths', it is easy to understand why many different cultures associate these fascinating fliers with matters of the soul.  It could be said that it was the ancient Greeks who really solidified this lasting relationship between these beautiful insects and the human spirit as the word for both in Greek language is 'psyche'.

For further information, visit Butterfly Conservation Trust's page for peacock butterflies.