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Meadow and hedgerow · Butterflies and moths
Peacock butterfly
Aglais io
A deep red butterfly with a large blue-and-yellow eye on each wing. The underside is almost black.
- Size
- Wingspan 6 to 7cm
- Look for it
- March to May, then July to September
- Where
- Gardens, woodland rides and anywhere with nettles
My spotter's list
Flutters after you and basks with its wings open. Move your pointer and see.
Good to know
Six things about the peacock
EyesFour staring eyes
When a bird comes close, it snaps its wings open. The sudden eyes can scare the bird off.
HissIt can hiss
By rubbing its wings together it makes a hissing sound, which is enough to put off a mouse.
WinterAsleep in the shed
Adults sleep through winter in sheds, hollow trees and log piles, which is why you can see one on a mild day in February.
UnderA dead leaf underneath
With its wings shut, the dark underside looks just like a dry leaf.
YoungBlack caterpillars on nettles
The caterpillars are black, spiny and speckled with white, and live together in a silk web on nettles.
LifeA long-lived butterfly
A peacock that hatches in July may still be flying the following May.
The real thing
Photos of the peacock
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
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Out and aboutHow to spot one
A buddleia bush in August is the place. In early spring, look for one basking on bare ground in the sun.
Lend a handHow to help
If you find one fluttering at a window indoors in winter, move it to a cold shed or garage so it can go back to sleep.
Following youLadybird
Who should follow you?
The garden
Meadow and hedgerow
Pond and stream bugs live on their own page: choosing one takes you there.
Pond and stream
The log pile
After dark
Bugs from other parts of the world live on their own pages: choose another.
