This is a much more attractive butterfly than may be apparent as it flits past, especially the female. It seems to be on the wing in May/early June and again, in greater numbers, in September. Whether this is because it is double brooded, which the timing might suggest, or whether the September brood is an influx of migrants, is hard to say. Lafranchis says its flight period is March to October in two to four generations and that it is resident in the Mediterranean region, but that does not quite account for its disappearance (in my experience) from mid-June to the end of August.

It is quite easy to tell the male from the female from the extent of the black markings on the upperside, the male uph being unmarked.

This is another species with a quite misleading English name, as it was first seen in England near Bath, so it gets stuck with a name as daft as the Camberwell Beauty, even though its subsequent visits to Bath must have been very infrequent indeed.

observations

a first brood male, easily identified by body shape and the dark markings which are much lighter than the female, especially on the uph.

a clearly marked female. The black discoidal mark does not appear to reach the costa. It has a small tear in the left hindwing.

a very fresh female, with a bright yellow-green colouring.

a female, based on the rather large cell spot. The unh colouring is quite dark and yellow-green.

a female, hard to tell when the forewing is down as the key distinguishing features are on the forewing.