Small Tortoiseshells are easily bred in class. It is an exciting way to give children hands-on experience of caring for the needs of this beautiful butterfly and understanding its lifecycle. Click here to see how it can be done!

If you can locate Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars by May half-term they will emerge as adults in July. Peacocks sometimes fail to emerge until the beginning of the Summer Hols!

Many schools today have access to a wide range of books which help pupils and teachers / adults get to grips with identification of all the common species. The internet is another excellent available resource. There are several useful pages on this website which you might find useful. PhotoGallery  provides photographs of almost all British species. Take them to the Gallery and hone their visual memories!

The Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies and commonly seen by pupils in parks and gardens and even the school grounds. Many pupils have a fascination for wildlife and can be inspired to focus this interest with a little guidance.

Warning! Children become fascinated by butterflies and will drive you crazy!

Please note: The file sizes for these images are very large. Broadband will help!

Many less academically inclined pupils have very strong visual memories and will astound you with their learning!

Peacock eyespots scare Ofsted inspectors away!

Pupils love to test their parents' knowledge for homework.

Large White and Small White are also regularly on the wing. Some parents who are keen gardeners will be more than pleased to supply you with caterpillars from their precious cabbages. These butterflies can be easily bred in class with a minimum of preparation and expense. Early summer or the late autumn is a good time to start. The earlier progeny will complete the life cycle by the end of the school year. The autumn 'babes' will proceed to the chrysalis stage and be ready to hibernate in a suitably cold location ( school loft or shed). Bring them out in March and let the pupils witness the hibernation process in the flesh. Click here for further guidance.

The Orange Tip is on the wing in Spring. It is a stunningly beautiful butterfly. The male has the orange tips on the upper wings while the female is limited to a touch of mascara.

The eggs of this species are easily spotted if you have some of its food plant nearby. They are bright orange too!

Make sure to include Orange Tips in your School Improvement Plan!