Rare butterflies in North Wales

Extinct residents

Brown Hairstreak
Used to occur in the south of Merionethshire and, conceivably, might still be present but overlooked.
Duke of Burgundy Fritillary
This butterfly became extinct in North Wales about the middle of the last century.
High Brown Fritillary
In the first half of the last century this butterfly was probably quite common, at least locally, but is now almost certainly extinct. The last known sighting in North Wales was in 1979. (A small population persists at one locality in the neighbouring county of Montgomeryshire).
Large Tortoiseshell
A breeding species near Llandudno until about 1950. Now extinct in Britain.
Purple Emperor
Two early twentieth century records from the Betws-y-Coed area and an older record from near Portmadoc. This is considered a sedentary species so, conceivably, it could have been present as a breeding resident.
Silver-washed Fritillary
This species occurred in suitable woods throughout North Wales just a few decades ago. The only recent records are of a few singleton males seen in the1990s. The nearest known colony is in Montgomeryshire.
Small Blue
Old records exist from near Llandudno, Colwyn Bay, Clwyd hills nr. Ruthin and Loggerheads. There are no recent records although there are still a few sites with the necessary abundance of the larval foodplant, Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), e.g. the ungrazed southern side of the Dysynni estuary.
Wood White
Present in Merionethshire in the nineteenth century.

Migrants

Monarch
A powerful flyer, which on occasion crosses the Atlantic and makes landfall on the coast of North Wales. Most likely to be seen around Cardigan Bay or on the Lleyn Peninsula but it could turn up anywhere. Recent records include one sighting at Pot Hole Valley (SJ15) in 1998 and three sightings on the coast of Merionethshire in October 1999.
Swallowtail
An occasional migrant, e.g. Llanarmon yn Ial (SJ15) in 2000.
Camberwell Beauty
Occasional sightings. More frequent in some years than others. 1995 saw a large influx into Britain from continental Europe, with a few individuals making it as far west as northeast Wales.
Pale Clouded Yellow
Difficult to identify so most individuals probably go unnoticed. Very few records.
Queen of Spain Fritillary
A scarce migrant from Europe which is very unlikely to reach the west of Britain. Dr Paul Whalley (Butterflies of Gwynedd) mentions a record from around the beginning of the twentieth century.

Vagrants, accidentals etc.

Black-veined White
‘Nr. Portmadoc, 1882’. The species became extinct in Britain in about the 1920s.
Large Blue
‘Near Aberdovey, 1865’. One can speculate as to whether this butterfly bred in our area in the distant past.
Large Copper
A female was seen in Pwllheli on the 28th September 2003. Origin unknown!
Marbled White
‘Towyn, July 1964’.
Small Apollo
A specimen was caught in the mountains above Penrhyn Quarry in 1887. However, it is now thought likely that this was a hoax.