Unveiling - Our butterflies

Which and how many European butterflies are there? How do they look? Why are they called that way? In this section you will find thematic factsheets on some of the species we have selected, explaining the etymology of their scientific names and presenting some interesting details. The gallery was created thanks to the collaboration of our naturalist photographer Marco Bonifacino.

Agriades glandon

The "hero of two worlds"! Found in Europe as well as in North America and Northern Asia, Agriades glandon is the typical companion of summer...

Anthocharis cardamines

" Oh look at that gorgeous flower...! Wait... what is it doing? Is it flying?!" Anthocharis cardamines owes its name precisely to the fusion...

Apatura iris

It's hard not to notice the purple Empress: a butterfly that, despite being a true master of hide-and-seek, from time to time lets itself be...

Aporia crataegi

The hawthorn puzzle! This white and elegant butterfly loves the countryside and its favourite plant is - in fact - the hawthorn, so much so ...

Boloria pales

"Catching with a net?!" Stop that, it's not as it seems: this time we' re the ones trapped. Yes, because "Boloria" comes from "bolos", the G...

Boloria selene

OK, let's say we were a tad absent-minded and climbed further upstream without seeing anything like orange nets: are we sure that a new, del...

Brintesia circe

Queen of the heat, this butterfly is a professional charmer. It is no coincidence that its name derives from the mythical enchantress Circe,...

Callophrys rubi

"...and the brambles had eyebrows!" Nowhere more far from a fairy tale: Callophrys Rubi (in our latitudes also known by the affectionate nic...

Coenonympha arcania

This butterfly belonging to the Nymphalidae family owes its name to the union of "koinos" (common) and "nymphe" (nymph): does it mean that w...

Cyaniris semiargus

Paraphrasing Miles Davis: Kind of blue! This butterfly with its intense blue color is very common throughout Italy and Europe, and the multi...

Gonepteryx rhamni

If butterflies were to play hide and seek, Gonepteryx rhamni would be the undisputed champion: this butterfly really looks like a flying lea...

Hesperia comma

Speaking of European butterflies, what about the one that has the West in its name? "Hesperia" was the name given by the Greeks to the lands...

Heteropterus morpheus

A butterfly so unique that it is - really - a tale of its own. If we were to reconstruct the etymology of its scientific name, "heteroptera"...

Iphiclides podalirius

Such a myth! At every stroke of its black-rimmed wings, this butterfly evokes the memory of, well… actually two myths: Iphicle and Podaliriu...

Lycaena hippothoe

"Fast she-wolf mare!" What the…? Oh no, don't worry, we're not in a daze: that’s just the literal translation of its name! This dusky butter...

Lycaena phlaeas

Burning like fire or blooming like a flower? The etymology of this winged "wolf" opens to two options, both related to the color of its wing...

Lysandra bellargus

Oh, this one is "beautiful" even in her name: so much that she even made Argo look pretty! Alright, let's take a step back: in Greek mytholo...

Lysandra hispana

"Que linda!" As the name suggests, this chromatic blaster abla español since Hispanic lands are its home territory.

Melanargia galathea

A timeless classic of elegance: black and white in proper balance for an absolutely flawless look. Which came first, haute couture or Melana...

Melitaea phoebe

The "shining venus" is the typical butterfly featured on the cover of an illustrated nature handbook, with its long antennae and multicolore...

Pararge aegeria

Speaking of brightness, we certainly cannot ignore Pararge aegeria: "pararge" comes from the union of the suffix "para-" with the Greek word...

Parnassius apollo

...What if you could actually meet a myth? This butterfly owes its scientific name precisely to its grace: so majestic that it was nicknamed...

Polyommatus daphnis

"Look straight into my eyes." " Yeah...which among the thousands?" The generic name of this species comes from combining the Greek "omma" (e...

Polyommatus dorylas

Like daphne, this butterfly also has a thousand eyes in the lower part of its wings, but the upper side shines an intense turquoise blue. Su...

Pontia callidice

In the "kingdom" of butterflies, queens are a must, and Pontia callidice has a very special kingdom. Its name should derive from the Latin "...

Scolitantides orion

"Flower or Butterfly?" A timeless quiz: let's refresh it with her! Literally, its first scientific name means "curved flower", from the unio...

Spialia sertorius

Whether enchantment or illusion, butterflies have a very close connection with the sense of sight. The "Spialia", for example, really seems ...

Thymelicus acteon

Every flap of this butterfly's wings is a symphony! "Thymelicus", in fact, comes from the Greek "thymelikos" which means "musical", while "a...

Vanessa cardui

Also with regard to this butterfly we can only talk about "splendor": the etymology of "Vanessa", in fact, can be traced in the term "phanes...

Zerynthia cassandra

The name of this butterfly has a really fascinating origin, waiting to be discovered: "Zerynthia" is one of the names of Hecate (also known ...

Our butterflies

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