White Letter Hairstreak Butterfly Satyrium w-album

The White-letter Hairstreak is a small butterfly that spends most of its time high up in elm tree canopies. Their population has suffered badly from loss of mature trees through Dutch Elm Disease.

The white "W" or "M" on their underwing gives them their name. Like other Hairstreaks, they rarely open their wings at rest. The topside is brown.

They feed mainly on aphid honeydew but occasionally they will come down for nectar, as here on bramble and Dave's finger.