Best time to see: Jul to end Aug
Key facts
Britain's commonest large brown butterfly
Habitat: almost anywhere where wild grasses thrive
Common across the whole of lowland Britain, but less usual in town than in countryside
Recognition
Dusky brown upperwings with a dull orange patch and a black eye with a single pupil; lower hindwing grey-brown
Often sits with wings closed; weak, fluttering flight just above the flower heads
Prefers a tall sward of species such as Smooth Meadow Grass
Lifecycle
Pale, almost spherical eggs laid singly on grass or other vegetation in summer
Bright green, white-haired caterpillars feed on grasses at night, hibernating when small
Pupates in late spring, the adults emerging from mid-June onwards
© Ken Wooldridge
© Leslie Borg
© Tony Gunton