Taken with Canon Powershot A640
The Speckled Wood is a butterfly with a greater tolerance of shade than most butterflies and is found in dappled woodland glades, hence the name. This butterfly may also be found along lanes and wooded hedgerows and often visits gardens, infact these photo`s were taken in one of the larger gardens I work in. The Speckled Wood likes to feed on aphid honeydew from leaves, but does occasionally visit flowers late in the season.
Uniquely among British butterflies, the Speckled Wood can overwinter as a caterpillar or a chrysalis, which can mean up to three broods, the first of which appears in late March and the last mid-October.
This butterfly had been in decline, but in the 1930`s their range has greatly increased and is now a common butterfly throughout the Midlands and southwards, as well as Wales, Ireland and certain parts of Scotland.
