Insects of the Sefton Coast
Butterflies, moths, beetles and other invertebrates of the Sefton Coast dunes, slacks and heathland — one of the richest insect habitats in northwest England.
61species recorded
2Red List
11Amber List
- Dark Green FritillaryGreenSpeyeria aglajaOpen dune grasslandCoastal heathLate June–August
- GraylingAmberHipparchia semeleOpen bare sandFixed duneJuly–September
- Common BlueGreenPolyommatus icarusDune grasslandCoastal grasslandMay–September
- Silver-studded BlueAmberPlebejus argusDune heathHeather heathLate June–August
- Small CopperGreenLycaena phlaeasOpen dune grasslandDisturbed groundApril–October
- Six-spot Burnet MothGreenZygaena filipendulaeOpen dune grasslandCalcareous grasslandJune–August
- Cinnabar MothGreenTyria jacobaeaeOpen dune grasslandRough grasslandAdults May–July
- Shore Wainscot MothGreenMythimna litoralisMobile sand duneSemi-fixed duneJuly–September
- Emperor MothGreenSaturnia pavoniaDune heathHeather heathMales April–May (afternoon)
- Dune Tiger BeetleAmberCicindela hybridaBare sand duneOpen sandy groundMay–August
- Large Marsh GrasshopperAmberStethophyma grossumWet dune slackSphagnum bogJuly–October
- Bee WolfGreenPhilanthus triangulumSouth-facing sandy bankOpen duneJuly–September
- Orange-tipGreenAnthocharis cardaminesDamp dune slack edgeWoodland edgeApril–June
- Speckled WoodGreenPararge aegeriaWoodland edgeShaded dune scrubApril–October
- PeacockGreenAglais ioDune grasslandGardenYear-round — adults hibernate over winter and emerge on warm winter days
- CommaGreenPolygonia c-albumDune scrubWoodland edgeMarch–October; adults hibernate and emerge on warm winter days
- Small TortoiseshellAmberAglais urticaeDune grasslandGardenYear-round — adults hibernate and can appear in any warm month
- Red AdmiralGreenVanessa atalantaDune grasslandGardenApril–November; migrants arrive May, peak August–October
- Painted LadyGreenVanessa carduiOpen dune grasslandRough grassland with thistlesMay–October; entirely migrant
- Clouded YellowGreenColias croceusOpen dune grasslandCoastal clover fieldsMay–October; migrant — numbers vary enormously
- Small WhiteGreenPieris rapaeDune grasslandGardenApril–October
- Large WhiteGreenPieris brassicaeDune grasslandGardenApril–October
- Green-veined WhiteGreenPieris napiDamp dune slack edgeWetland edgeApril–September
- Small HeathAmberCoenonympha pamphilusShort dune grasslandCoastal heathMay–September
- Meadow BrownGreenManiola jurtinaDune grasslandRough grasslandJune–September
- RingletGreenAphantopus hyperantusShaded dune scrub edgeWoodland edgeJune–August
- GatekeeperGreenPyronia tithonusDune scrub edgeBramble patchJuly–September
- Wall BrownAmberLasiommata megeraBare dune pathOpen rocky groundApril–September
- Small SkipperGreenThymelicus sylvestrisTall dune grasslandRough grasslandJune–August
- Dingy SkipperAmberErynnis tagesBare dune grasslandLimestone grasslandMay–June
- Sandhill Rustic MothRedLuperina nickerlii gueneeiMobile frontal duneSand Couch zone at highest tide lineAugust–September
- Forester MothAmberAdscita staticesOpen dune grasslandCalcareous grassland with SorrelMay–July
- Elephant HawkmothGreenDeilephila elpenorDune scrubRough grassland with WillowherbMay–July
- Poplar HawkmothGreenLaothoe populiWoodland edgeDune scrub with WillowMay–August
- Hummingbird HawkmothGreenMacroglossum stellatarumGardenOpen dune grassland with flowersMay–October; migrant from southern Europe
- Silver Y MothGreenAutographa gammaOpen dune grasslandGardenMay–October; migrant — can arrive in extraordinary numbers in some years
- Oak EggarGreenLasiocampa quercusDune heathHeather moorlandMales July–August (daytime)
- White Satin MothAmberLeucoma salicisPoplar and Willow woodlandDune scrub with SallowJune–August
- Garden Tiger MothAmberArctia cajaDune scrubRough grasslandJuly–August
- Emperor DragonflyGreenAnax imperatorDune slack pondOpen water with emergent vegetationJune–August
- Azure DamselflyGreenCoenagrion puellaDune slack pondAny still or slow-moving freshwater with emergent vegetationMay–August
- Emerald DamselflyGreenLestes sponsaRush-bordered dune slack poolBoggy dune slackJuly–September
- Blue-tailed DamselflyGreenIschnura elegansDune slack pondMarsh ditchMay–September
- Common Blue DamselflyGreenEnallagma cyathigerumOpen dune pondLarger freshwaterMay–September
- Large Red DamselflyGreenPyrrhosoma nymphulaDune slack pondAny still or slow freshwater with emergent vegetationApril–August
- Ruddy DarterGreenSympetrum sanguineumDune slack pondSheltered open waterJuly–October
- Common DarterGreenSympetrum striolatumDune slack pondCoastal ditchJuly–November
- Brown HawkerGreenAeshna grandisDune slack pondDrainage channelJuly–September
- Migrant HawkerGreenAeshna mixtaDune slack pondOpen waterAugust–October
- Four-spotted ChaserGreenLibellula quadrimaculataDune slack pondBog pondMay–August
- Broad-bodied ChaserGreenLibellula depressaDune slack pondGarden pondMay–August
- Vernal Mining BeeRedColletes cuniculariusSemi-fixed yellow dune with old blowoutsSouth-facing sandy bankLate March–May
- Ashy Mining BeeGreenAndrena cinerariaSandy dune bankOpen sandy groundApril–June
- Buff-tailed BumblebeeGreenBombus terrestrisDune grasslandGardenFebruary–October; queens from February, workers and males later
- Red-tailed BumblebeeGreenBombus lapidariusDune grasslandGardenMarch–October
- Common Carder BeeGreenBombus pascuorumDune grasslandScrub edgeMarch–November
- Green Tiger BeetleGreenCicindela campestrisHeathland pathSandy fixed duneApril–August
- Common Green GrasshopperGreenOmocestus viridulusDune grasslandCoastal heathJune–October
- Meadow GrasshopperGreenChorthippus parallelusDune grasslandRough grasslandJune–October
- Dark Bush CricketGreenPholidoptera griseoapteraDense dune scrubBramble thicketsAugust–November
- Roesel's Bush CricketGreenRoeseliana roeseliiTall dune grasslandRough coastal grasslandJuly–October