There seem to be many conflicitng things I've been told about how long butterflies live, ranging from a few days to whole years. Now there must be some variation amongst species, but surely not this much?

So my question is, what is the average lifetime of a butterfly living in the UK, and also, what is the longest lifespan of a butterfly?

Thanks!

Yes, butterflies vary in their life span, some lasting just a few weeks, others much longer. The small tortoiseshell for instance has two broods a year and the adults from the second hatching will over-winter in hibernation. They are commonly found in dark corners in houses, especially those, like ours, that don't have central heating and therefore have cold spots where they can hibernate safely.

A very interesting question, I also assumed that butterflies all had relatively short lifespans of only a few weeks, but the hear some last all over winter is fascinating.

I believe that the Camberwell Beauty can lve for around 10 months, which is quite a long time.

We have had Peacocks in our shed over winter.