In summer you often encounter butterflies. But which moths actually fly around in Germany? We introduce you to local butterflies with a picture.
In a nutshell
- around 3700 butterfly species in Germany
- Threat of habitat loss
- many species with individual characteristics
Native butterflies
Around 3,700 butterflies are native to Germany. However, more and more of these species are classified as endangered. Reason is above all
- pesticides used in agriculture
- lack of forage crops
- Absence of open landscapes and rough meadows
- Destruction of biotopes and habitats
Despite the threat to the moths, there are still a large number of native butterflies. The most well-known include:
From A to E
admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
- Size: up to 65 mm
- Appearance: Dark brown wings edged with a red border; black wingtips with white markings
- Flight time: May to October
- Habitat: Forest paths, forest edges, open meadows, pastures, orchards, embankments, parks, gardens, fallow land…
- Food: preferably phlox (Phlox), butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) or goldenrod (Solidago); also thistle (Carduus acanthoides), rockrose (Helianthemum), thyme (Thymus), water pod (Eupatorium), fallen fruit, beer
Apollo Butterfly (Parnassius Apollo)
- Size: up to 88 mm
- Appearance: white wings with white centered red eyespots on hindwings; black cube-spots on forewings; glassy outer edges of wings
- Flight time: July to August
- Habitat: Warm, flowering slopes, hills, steep cliffs, brick embankments, stone and rock heaps
- Food: Thistle, knapweed (Centaurea), oregano (Origanum vulgare), sedum (Sedum album), sedum (Hylotelephium telephium)
Aurora Butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines)
- Size: up to 45 mm
- Appearance: whitish wings with black spot; white-green patterned wing undersides; Males also have orange wingtips
- Flight time: April to June
- Habitat: Woody communities, clearings, forests, moist grassland, parks and gardens
- Food: prefers meadowfoam (Cardamine pratensis) and garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata); also: bitter bittercress (Cardamine amara), night violet (Hesperis matronalis), mountain vetchling (Lathyrus linifolius), common sandweed (Vicia sepium), starwort (Stellaria holostea), red campion (Silene dioica), hawthorn (Crataegus)
Tree White (Aporia crataegi)
- Size: up to 80 mm
- Appearance: white. Slightly transparent wings; males have black wing veins and black spot on forewings; Females brown veins without spot
- Flight time: May to July
- Habitat: open and cultivated land; Embankments, meadow orchards, hedges, forest edges, nutrient-poor grassland, gardens
- Food: Thistles, lucerne (Medicago sativa), viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare), meadow sage (Salvia pratensis), red clover (Trifolium pratense), red dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)
C-Folder (Polygonia c-album)
- Size: up to 50 mm
- Appearance: patterned orange-black to yellow-brown; white "C" on underside of hind wings
- Flight time: June to May
- Habitat: moist locations, forests, roadsides, aisles, clearings, meadow orchards, woody areas in open country
- Food: willow (Salix caprea), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), summer lilac, species of thistle and dost
- other: good and quite frequent pollinator of berry bushes
notice: A myth says that C moths suck berries. But that is wrong. They only suck on fallen fruit.
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- Size: up to 60 mm
- Appearance: orange with black markings; white dots on the outer edges; Hind wings mottled brown and white
- Flight time: April to October
- Habitat: Open land, dry wasteland, fallow land, juniper heaths, dirt roads, fields, meadows, settlement areas, avoids forests
- Food: Thistles, knapweed, helichrysum (Helichrysum arenarium), scabious (Knautia), mallow (Malva)…
- other: Beneficial, pollinates thistles
Oak Processionary Moth (Thaumetopoea processionea)
- Size: up to 36 mm
- Appearance: Ash-grey to brown-grey wings with jagged markings; grey-white, darkly fringed hindwings
- Flight time: July to September
- Habitat: prefers oak trees, also on hornbeam; occasionally on roadsides and in parks
- Food: moths do not eat; Caterpillars eat leaves of the host tree
Notice: The hair of the caterpillar of the oak processionary moth can trigger severe allergic reactions all year round. The moth, on the other hand, does not pose a health risk.
From F to J
Buckthorn Blue (Celastrina argiolus)
- Size: up to 30 mm
- Appearance: pastel blue wings; females broad black wing wheels; males have thin black impellers; ice-blue to white-grey undersides of wings with small black spots
- Flight time: April to September
- Habitat: Forest fringes and meadows rich in bushes, pastures, clearings, riparian zones, fallow land and urban areas
- Food: Blackberry (Rubus spec.), loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), dost, buckthorn (frangula anus), heather (Erica spec.), alfalfa, animal excrement, honeydew
- other: enters into symbiosis with ants
Gamma Owl (Autographa gamma)
- Size: up to 40 mm
- Appearance: gray to brown; characteristic markings on forewings
- Flight time: February to December
- Habitat: no special habitat; avoid closed forests
- Food: Blossoms, trees and shrubs of all kinds, also fields with cabbage (Brassica), lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
- other: one of the most common moths, hovering flight similar to a hummingbird, serious feeding damage possible in the event of mass reproduction
Great Kingfisher (Limenites populi)
- Size: up to 90 mm
- Appearance: dark blue with white spots; females with broad white bands surrounded by orange and blue marginal bands; males without white bandage; underwings orange with black and white spots; blue-grey edges
- Flight time: June and July
- Habitat: forest edges, especially crown areas, military training areas, abandoned gravel pits
- Food: no nectar plants; suck at waysides, puddles, dew, carrion, animal excrement, honeydew, tree sap
- other: dependent on cold winters
Greater Copper Butterfly (Lycaena dispar)
- Size: up to 40 mm
- Appearance: orange wings; Males have black wing edges fringed with white; Females dark brown to orange-red, wing edges fringed with white
- Flight time: June to September
- Habitat: Moist locations, wet meadows, edges of ditches and water bodies, fens, fallow meadows, road embankments, cattle pastures
- Food: flowering plants such as water damsel, purple loosestrife, ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria), valerian (Valeriana), water mint (Mentha aquatica), yarrow (Achillea), cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
big fox (Nymphalis polychloros)
- Size: up to 55 mm
- Appearance: orange-red wings with black, white and yellow pattern; Hind wing margin faintly blue
- Flight time: late June to May
- Habitat: sparse forests, forest edges, parks, gardens, meadow orchards, bushy dry grassland
- Food: rarely on nectar flowers; rather tree sap, fallen fruit, animal excrement, carrion
- other: one of the largest native butterflies, but rare
Large Cabbage White (Pieris brassicae)
- Size: up to 60 mm
- Appearance: White wings with dark gray tips; females two black dots on forewings; Hind wings white with greyish marginal spots; Underside colored white to greyish
- Flight time: April to October
- Habitat: Coastal regions and open country; Settlement area, rapeseed fields, agricultural areas, ruderal areas, forests, meadows
- Food: thistles, true medicinal valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Carthusian carnation (Dianthus carthusianorum), clover (Trifolium spec.), alfalfa, buddleia, meadowfoam
Notice: The large cabbage white owes its name to its caterpillars. They prefer to feed on various types of cabbage.
big oxeye (Maniola jurtina)
- Habitat: dry to moist locations, grassland, excessively used grassland, forest roads, railway embankments, set-aside areas, post-mining landscapes, settlement areas
- Flight time: June to September
- Size: up to 48mm
- Appearance: Males: dark brown upper side of wings, dark scented scale spots near base, wingtips with orange-rimmed, white-nucleated, black eyespots, females dark brown, orange spot in center of wings, larger eye
- Food: Spear thistle species, scabious, knapweed, dost, marigold (Calendula officinalis), yarrow, mountain sanddrop (Jasione montana), blackberry, clover species, tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), devil's biscuit (Succia pratensis), pigeon scabious ( Scabiosa columbaria)
Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)
- Size: up to 30 mm
- Appearance: Intense blue males; females brown with blue tinge; wings with light border; light wing underside with black and orange dots
- Flight time: May to October
- Habitat: open country; Poor grassland, embankments, roadsides, dry grassland, post-mining landscapes, ruderal corridors
- Food: Common trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), meadow vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis), sweet pea, thyme, kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), hop-alfalfa (Medicago lupulina)
From K to R
imperial mantle (Argynnis paphia)
- Size: up to 65 mm
- Appearance: Brown-orange with rows of black spots parallel to wing margins; males with striped scented scales; Underside greenish white with silver
- Flight time: July to September
- Habitat: near-natural forests, forest edges, gardens, bushes, forest bog meadows, dry hillsides covered with bushes, abandoned gravel pits, residential areas
- Food: Thistles, dost, blackberries, summer lilac, linden (Tilia), privet (Ligustrum), groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
Little Copper Butterfly (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Size: up to 27mm
- Appearance: Orange-red, lightly fringed wings with a dark brown wing margin and several dark cube spots; hindwings dark brown with orange band on edge; Underside faintly spotted
- Flight time: May to October
- Habitat: (Semi) dry grassland, ruderal areas, fallow land, embankments, roadsides and roadsides, heaths, railway embankments, residential areas
- Food: heather, mountain aster (Aster amellus), Bell-Heath (Erica tetralix), tansy , horse mint (Mentha longif.webpolia), pigeon scabious, water daisy, marguerite (Leucanthemum vulgare), thyme
Notice: (Small) copper butterflies are particularly protected according to §1 Annex 1 of the Federal Species Protection Ordinance. However, they are not on the red list of endangered species.
Little fox (Aglais urticae)
- Size: up to 50 mm
- Appearance: orange wings with dark brown wing bases and black, yellow and white markings; black bordered cyan dots at the edge
- Flight time: May to October
- Habitat: Open country biotopes, forest edges, gardens, paths, parks, inland dunes, ruderal areas
- Food: Buddleia, dahlias (dhalia spec.), asters (Aster spec.), alfalfa, alfalfa, thistles, dandelion (Taraxacum), red clover, meadow knapweed (Centaurea jacea)
- other: one of the best-known domestic butterflies; pollinates more than 200 different nectar plants
Lesser Purple Butterfly (Apatura ilia)
- Size: up to 60 mm
- Appearance: dark brown wings with band of white spots; males with blue shimmering structure colour; eyespots edged with black and orange on fore and hind wings
- Flight time: June and July
- Habitat: Forests, roadsides with deciduous trees, abandoned gravel pits
- Food: no sources of nectar; suck on moist soil areas, carrion, animal excrement, honeydew, tree sap, fermented gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa) or plums (Prunus domestica)
Little Meadow Bird (Coenonympha pamphilus)
- Size: up to 33 mm
- Appearance: Brown-ocher wings with a gray border; light-edged eyespot with white spot in center of wingtips; white to gray underwings with a light transverse band
- Flight time: April to November
- Habitat: open grassy areas, meadows, pastures, embankments, ruderal areas, road and field edges, sand and gravel pits
- Food: Wild plants such as buttercups (Ranunculus) or daisies, yarrow, snail clover (Medicago spec.), meadow knapweed, purple loosestrife, tansy, daphne, wild thyme (Thymus pulegioides)
- other: most common meadow bird species
map (Arashnia levana)
- Size: up to 43 mm
- Appearance: either orange-brown spring generation with black spots and white border or dark summer generation with cream band and white spots on forewings
- Flight time: April to August
- Habitat: Forests, forest edges, parks, aisles and settlement edges
- Food: Water russet, heather rosemary (Andromeda polifolia), marsh tea (Rhododendron tomentosum), wild carrot (Daucus carota subsp. Carota), yarrow, valerian, blackberry, thistles
Plum Hairstreak (Satyrium prunis)
- Size: up to 28 mm
- Appearance: dark grey-brown wings with orange banding on wing edges;; underwings grey-brown with white line and orange band with black spots; protruding "tip" at the end of the wing
- Flight time: May to July
- Habitat: warm places sheltered from the wind; plum trees, sloe bushes
- Food: Common privet (Ligustrum vulgare), elder (Sambucus), blackberries
From S to V
checkerboard (Melanargia galathea)
- Size: up to 52 mm
- Appearance: checkered black and white pattern or dark brown spots; Underside white to light brown
- Flight time: June to August
- Habitat: nutrient-poor grassland, dwarf shrub heaths, roadsides, forest aisles, embankments, orchards, overgrown orchards
- Food: prefers nutrient-poor flowering meadows and lilac to violet flowers; Dost, meadow knapweed, meadow clover, field scabious (Knautia arvensis), thistles, scabious
- other: butterfly of the year 2022
swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
- Size: up to 80mm
- Appearance: yellow wings with black pattern; black hind wing processes; Inner edges with a small, round, red spot
- Flight time: April to September
- Habitat: sunny, open terrain; Lean grass, gardens with carrots, dill and fennel
- Food: prefers violet flowers; Red clover, summer lilac, knapweed, thistle, dost, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) field scabious, alfalfa, Carthusian carnation (Dianthus carthusianorum)
- other: one of the largest domestic butterflies
six-spotted widow (Zygaena filipendulae)
- Size: up to 38 mm
- Appearance: six red spots on shiny silver forewings; red hind wings
- Flight time: May to September
- Habitat: Meadows, lowlands, cliffs, fallow land, edges of forests, dry grassland, ruderal areas, gravel pits
- Food: Meadow knapweed, scabious, pigeon scabious, cloves (Dianthus), vetch peas, bluebells (Campanula), St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum)
Swallowtails (Iphiclides podalirius)
- Size: up to 80mm
- Appearance: light yellow wings with differently sized, longitudinal, dark bars; three blue eyespots on hindwings with pale tips
- Flight time: April to June
- Habitat: needs a lot of warmth; hot slopes, bushy post-mining landscapes, power lines, heath areas, mild river areas, settlement areas with orchards
- Food: Plums, elderberries, oilseed rape (Brassica napus), privet, meadow sage (Salvia pratensis), summer lilac, bugloss
peacock butterfly (Inachis io)
- Size: up to 55 mm
- Appearance: four blue-black-yellow eye-spots on top of each wing tip; eyes on hind wings with blue markings; brown border along slightly jagged wings; black marbled wing undersides
- Flight time: July to May
- Habitat: open country to forest; flowery forest clearings, settlement areas, gardens and parks
- Food: wide spectrum, mainly violet flowers: thistles, summer lilac, stonecrop, water daisy, wild teasel (Dipsacus fullonum), blackberry, alfalfa, heather, sloe, dandelion, bittercress
- other: One of the most common domestic butterflies
Notice: The large eyes of the peacock butterfly serve as a defense strategy. They are designed to intimidate enemies and keep them away.
dovetail (Macroglossum stellatarum)
- Size: up to 55 mm
- Appearance: Large, squat body with a three centimeter long trunk; grey-brown wings with darker hue on abdomen; white tufts of hair on the sides; Underside light gray and brown-orange
- Flight time: August to May
- Habitat: Open land, dry grassland, meadows, in settlement areas in parks and gardens
- Food: Clover, Viper Bugloss, Primula (Primula), Snail Clover (Medicago), Cranesbill (Geranium), Violet (Viola), Cyst (Stachys)
- other: stops buzzing in front of a flower
mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiope)
- Size: up to 75 mm
- Appearance: dark brown with white/pale yellow slightly frayed wing margins; Wing seam inwards with spots bordered in blue and black
- Flight time: mid-July to mid-June
- Habitat: Forests, forest edges, heath areas in military training areas, forest paths, meadow orchards, gardens
- Food: rarely nectar flowers; sucks tree sap and fallen fruit, willow blossoms, escaping tree sap
From W to Z
forest board game (Pararge aegeria)
- Size: up to 45 mm
- Appearance: Dark brown wings with light yellow and black spots centered with white; three to four dark eyespots on hindwings; broken white narrow wing seam; Underside ocher with white spots, eyes and marbling
- Flight time: April to August
- Habitat: moist to slightly dry forests, meadow orchards, parks and gardens
- Food: rarely nectar flowers; sucks damp soil, tree wounds, honeydew, ripe fruit
Wandering Yellowling (Colias croceus)
- Size: up to 50 mm
- Appearance: Males have orange-yellow wings with broad, dark marginal bands; females with yellow spots in dark band; Underside with dark spots
- Flight time: April to
- Habitat: open country
- Food: Meadow clover, seeded alfalfa (Medicago sativa), meadow knapweed
brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni)
- Size: up to 55 mm
- Appearance: Lemon yellow to pale greenish white wings, wing tips pointed, orange patch on top, brown patch on underside
- Flight time: mid-July to June
- Habitat: any open area
- Food: prefers red-violet flowers; Meadow knapweed, meadow clover, daphne family (Thymelaeaceae), corydalis (Corydalis), lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis), types of thistle
- other: summer and winter rest; can live up to 10 months as the only native butterfly
Notice: Brimstone butterflies can excrete a large part of their body fluids in winter and then go into hibernation. They survive temperatures down to - 20° Celsius.
frequently asked Questions
Do all butterflies look as described in the profile?Not necessarily. Environmental conditions such as temperature can lead to the formation of special shapes and colors in some butterfly species. These moths then look different than described.
What can I do to encourage native butterflies?Plant a colorful variety of flowers and trees in your garden. This is how you create food sources and habitat for the flying insects.
How do butterflies overwinter?That depends on the species. Some butterflies tolerate cold and therefore hibernate as moths in attics or in basements. Other species are less cold-resistant and therefore migrate to warmer areas in winter. Still others die off before the cold season, so that only the new generation hibernates as pupated caterpillars.