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
61 species
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