Description
Wingspan 45 – 53mm. The wings are orange, marked with a lattice of brown lines. The fore-wings have an eye-spot and the hind wings have three eye-spots. The male is more heavily marked with brown than the female.
Habitat
Meadows, dry grasslands, and brown field sites. The caterpillars feed on a wide variety of grasses.
Status and Distribution
A declining species. Now mainly coastal but still fairly widespread in Britain. Uncommon in Nottinghamshire and no longer recorded at Netherfield Lagoons.
Best Time to See
April to June.
Gallery
