Granddad’s Camera
Peacock, as it appears in the game

No.022 · Butterflies, moths and other insects · Common

Peacock

Aglais io

A velvety red butterfly with four big blue-and-black eyespots that flash to scare off predators. It hibernates as an adult and is one of the first out in spring.

When to look

March to May and July to September, mostly at day.

Time of day

Best time
Sunny days from March; new adults in July–September; hibernates from September/October.
Where in the game
Millbrook (garden, park, churchyard, canal and farmland) and the New Forest (lawn and ancient woodland)
Wingspan
63–69 mm
Lifespan
Up to about 11 months, one of the longest-lived British butterflies
Population
Widespread and common; no reliable national estimate
Status
Least Concern (GB Red List, Butterfly Conservation 2022)

Diet

Adults: nectar from sallow catkins, dandelion, buddleia and ivy. Caterpillars: nettle.

Habitat

Gardens, hedgerows, woodland edge and waste ground; hibernates in sheds, hollow trees and log piles.

Breeding

Eggs are laid in clusters on nettle, mainly in May; groups of black spiny caterpillars spin webs; new adults emerge from late July, feed, then hibernate.

Field signs

  • Communal silken webs on nettle with black, spiny caterpillars
  • Adults basking with wings open on a sunny wall
  • A hissing sound made by rubbing the wings together

Did you know?

  • When threatened, a peacock flashes its eyespots and makes a hissing sound by rubbing its wings together.
  • Peacocks are among the earliest butterflies each spring, waking on mild days in March.
  • Peacocks hibernate in dark, sheltered places such as sheds, barns and hollow trees, and wake on warm days from as early as March.

Moments worth waiting for

  • Spring awakening March to April, day
    A peacock, freshly out of hibernation, opens its wings on a sunny wall and shows all four eyespots.
  • Eyespot flash August to October, day
    Disturbed, the butterfly flicks its wings open and hisses, eyespots glaring.

Photo tip

Watch a buddleia in August or sallow catkins in March for basking butterflies. A macro lens and a still, sunny day; approach slowly to stay out of its shadow.

Be a good naturalist

Do not disturb hibernating peacocks in sheds or roofs; leave a gap and a dark, cool corner. Grow nectar plants and leave nettles for caterpillars.

The law

No legal protection.

Checked against