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The small white butterfly is known to many as the cabbage white because of its fondness for brassicas. A common visitor to back gardens and fields, it lacks the more pronounced black wing tips of its larger cabbage-loving cousin, the large white.

The marbled white is mainly found in flowery grassland but can stray into gardens. Those of you in the south are more likely to spot it as the species' strongest populations are on the chalk downland from Kent through to Wiltshire and Dorset.

A common garden visitor, the peacock butterfly is instantly recognisable by its bright colour-scheme and 'eyespots'. The circular patterns on its upper wings are said to mimic eyes and intimidate, or at least confuse, predators.

The small white comma shaped marking on the brown underside of its wings gives the comma butterfly its name. The ragged edges of the its browny-orange wings are excellent camouflage in dead leaves when hibernating. In the summer it becomes more active outside of woodlands, searching out nectar and rotting fruit.

Seen almost anywhere from mountain tops to city centres, the small tortoiseshell is first butterfly to appear in spring and often the last to leave in autumn. It might be common but with its distinctive black and orange forewings it's still a stunner. Distinguish it from the much rarer large tortoiseshell by its size and the presence of a white spot in the forewing.

The ringlet gets its name from the spots on the underside of its wings. A reliable sighting even in the temperamental British summer, the ringlet will still fly in dull cloudy conditions unlike most other butterflies. Its preferred habitat is damp grassland.

The spectacular swallowtail is the largest native butterfly to the UK. Its liking for wet fenland means you'll only see it in the Norfolk Broads.

Another rare one, the silver-studded blue's preferred habitat has reduced over the centuries. It thrives amongst the heather, gorse and bracken of heathland but is difficult to distinguish from the common blue at a glance. Silver-studded blues are named for the brilliant blue scales in the black marks on the underside of their wings.

Butterfly Conservation's website is fabulous for help in and has loads of information on how to make a . Or follow the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Breathing Places guide to make your own .

What have you spotted this summer? Have you made a Big Butterfly Count? Let us know in the comments below and keep those summer wildlife pics coming into our photo group.