Peacock
Threatened, it flicks its wings open to flash four eyespots and hisses by rubbing its wings together.
| Where | Gardens, woodland clearings, meadows with nettles |
|---|---|
| Size | 63 to 75 mm wingspan |
| When | March to September |
Adults spend the winter asleep in sheds, hollow trees and roof spaces, and are among the first butterflies out in spring.
The caterpillars are black and spiny and live together in large silk webs on stinging nettle.
Traits
Habitat
Garden
Colour
Red, Black
Active
Day
To people
Harmless
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The red admiral has red bands across near-black wings, not eyespots.
Orange with a row of blue marks along the edge and no large eyespots.
Questions
Is the Peacock dangerous to people?
The Peacock is harmless to people.
When can you see the Peacock?
The Peacock can be seen from March to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Lauri Mällo, PlutoF, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Brush-footed butterflies›Aglais
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.