We have now submitted detailed evidence to Guinness World Records in our bid to become a record-breaker for the ‘largest display of butterfly replicas’.

University of Derby Entomology Professor Karin Vahed and Derbyshire police PCSOs Leah Eyre and Abigail Cook painstakingly measured and counted just over 1,007 printed butterflies displayed at the Derbion Centre on Saturday 28th August 2021.

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

The Peacock butterfly is one of the most common butterflies found in gardens throughout lowland England and Wales. The best time to spot adult peacock butterflies is between march and May and from July to September on a sunny day. Look for them feeding on a variety of flowers, in woodlands, parks and hedgerows.

Purple Emperor Butterfly (Apatura Iris)

The Purple Emperor likes to fly high up in tree-tops in central-southern England. It enjoys feeding on aphid honeydew and tree sap. They are very hard to spot and emerge in early July. Some people try to attract them down from woodland canopy by tempting them with banana skins and shrimp paste!

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly (Aglais urticae)

The Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly is a common garden butterfly and can be seen in flowery, urban and rural locations between March and October all over the UK. They enjoy drinking nectar from flowers and can often be found hibernating in houses and sheds.

Holly Blue Butterfly (Celastrina argiolus)

Holly Blue Butterflies are most common in the Midlands and South of the UK and can be found high up near the tops of bushes, in parks, hedgerows and woods during the months of April, June, August and September. The adults like to eat oozing sap, aphid honeydew and carrion juices. Females lay their eggs in the base of flower buds on holly bushes.