Butterflies
Skippers
Whites
Hairstreaks
Blues and Coppers
Admirals
Vannesids
Fritallaries
Browns
Purple emperor also seen in high vantage points in certain shared localities
Butterfly Survey 1976-2025
White Admiral
Wingspan 55-60 mm
Wingspan 55-60 mm
The White Admiral is a woodland butterfly, which maintains a slender foothold in most of the localities in which it has been found during the period of my study. I have implemented some careful woodland management in the locality of Bromley Common, Scraginhall and the butterfly seems securely resident to the stream side glade, where it breeds in a mass of honeysuckle on one of the alder trees in the vicinity. In the other location, the butterfly could become even more secure, were a similar process of care undertaken. Managed woodland teams tend to regard honeysuckle as a parasite, so the butterflies on the Hayes Farm overgrown plantation, although at no immediate risk, only remain so by chance. This probably applies in all the listed locations, including High Elms, where woodland management has not been the butterflies best ally (G. Boswell).
Personal: The White Admiral was first sighted by me in Joydens Wood, then in the very extensive woods above Shoreham and around Pollhill. On one occasion in 1990 while visiting a potential client living on the ridge beyond Pollhill Nursery, I was amazed to see a relative abundance of the butterfly. This was after seeing single butterflies in Andrews Wood and Pilots Wood nearvby. I was also delighted to find the butterfly in Norman Park nearby, where in late summer a White Admiral was crawling in the muddy stream bed taking minerals.
Habit: Often a strong flier, but the butterfly can also be seen on pathways, around bramble and in muddy areas around water - has a tendency to crawl or walk from one feeding spot to another.
Single brooded, eggs are laid singly on the upper leaves of honeysuckle, the larvae emerging in a short time and feeding into the second instar, when it hibernates - it emerges the following year to complete its transformation - the pupae hanging on the underside of the foodplant. Larval Foodplant: honeysuckle
Status: fluctuating naturally but also subject to neglect of former coppiced areas of woodland.
WH - White Hill Shoreham, BC - Bromley Common, HE - High Elms Ha Hayes --BN Bromley North - Ey Eynsford - Orp Orpington - RU Ruxley