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Butterflies are among the most beautiful visitors to our gardens and a sure sign summer is here. There are around 60 species in the UK, with 22 being regular garden visitors. An abundance of butterflies indicates a healthy environment and ecosystem. When an area is rich in butterflies and moths, it also has plenty of other invertebrates. Collectively, they provide a wide range of environmental benefits, including pollinating plants. Read on to find out how to identify the most common garden butterflies that you can see across the UK this summer...  

1. Common blue butterfly

Widespread throughout the UK, this butterfly is easy to spot, thanks to the males' vibrant violet-blue upper wings with beige/grey undersides. In southern England, the females tend to have brown tints towards the edges of their upper wings, with a blue hue in the centre. The brighter blue shade on the wings is predominantly found in the north of the country. It can vary further down south, where it can be a paler blue. The common blue has a wingspan of 30 mm, making it one of the smaller butterflies found in the UK.  

2. Painted lady butterfly

As one of Britain's most familiar butterflies, it has mainly orange wings that contrast sharply with black markings, and black and white spots. A medium-sized butterfly, it has a wingspan of 50 mm to 56 mm. They can be seen just about anywhere and sometimes arrive in your garden in their droves. In 2009, the UK had what was labelled a "painted lady summer", when some 11 million arrived! Flying at speeds of up to 30 mph, they covered 7,500 miles as they migrated from Africa.  

3. Speckled wood butterfly

While many species have declined in numbers, the speckled wood has bucked the trend and has spread in recent years, according to Butterfly Conservation. It is widely found in the Midlands, East Anglia, much of northern England and Scotland. It has brown wings with cream spots. However, the background shade of the wings can range from dark brown to an orange-tinged hue, while the spots can be white, pale yellow, cream, or a tawny shade. The female has brighter markings than the male and the spots on the upper wing are commonly called "eyespots", because of their resemblance to eyes.  

4. Brimstone butterfly

The male brimstone butterfly has bright yellow wings, while the female has pale green, with orange spots in the middle of each wing. More prevalent in northern England, according to Butterfly Conservation, it is a fairly large butterfly, with a wingspan of 6 cm to 7.4 cm. This butterfly can be seen all year round and is easily recognisable, due to its wings' unique leaf shape. The brimstone has a greyish body and its wings have visible veins. When the brimstone rests, its wings are closed, which is quite unusual for butterflies.  

5. Large skipper butterfly

The large skipper has a wingspan of 33 mm. In terms of butterflies, this does not seem particularly large! However, it is the largest of the skipper family. A moth-like butterfly, it has wings of various tawny shades of orange, giving it the appearance of an autumn leaf. You will see it flying at high speed, or collecting nectar on flowers. It will rest with its wings closed. With a pronounced, thick, black line going across the centre of its upper wings, this can be seen more easily when it is at rest. The undersides of its wings display a few orange spots, producing a chequered appearance.  

6. Large white butterfly

Anyone who spends time outdoors will surely have seen the large white butterfly fluttering about. Common throughout the whole of Britain, it has characteristic white wings that feature broad black tips on the forewing. The female can be identified by a black streak and two black spots on each wing. The male doesn't have spots on the wings' upper side, but it has two black spots on the underside. It is also nicknamed a cabbage moth, although this is not an apt description, since it is a butterfly. The wingspan ranges between 5 cm and 6.5 cm. A pale green hue on the underside of the wings provides camouflage when the butterfly is at rest on a leaf.   Can rare butterflies be spotted in the UK? Britain's rarest butterfly is the large blue, first recorded in 1795. It has a wingspan of up to 52 mm and its wings are speckled with black dots. Known as a gossamer-winged butterfly, its wings have a shiny appearance and can have a metallic blue-green hue. The underside of the wings is darkened with a brown tinge. It was never around in large numbers, but due mainly to a loss of habitat, the endemic subspecies was declared extinct in Britain in 1979, with the last known site being on Dartmoor, in Devon. Due to the conservation efforts of wildlife groups and individuals, the species is gradually being reintroduced in the wild, using butterflies from Sweden on breeding programmes. Today, there are an estimated 10,000 adult large blues on 11 sites across the UK - the largest number in more than 60 years. It has been hailed as a magnificent example of conservation in action. However, you will still be very lucky if you see this elusive butterfly in your garden. Enjoy the great outdoors and spend some time looking at the beautiful butterflies that play an important role in the conservation of the planet.