Pararge aegeria
Pararge aegeria
Pararge aegeria MHNT dos by Didier Descouens (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Pararge aegeria MHNT dos by Didier Descouens (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Love plants? So do we.
Download the app to see more photos from the Candide community.
1 of 9
These butterflies are a common site in countryside habitats where hedgerows and open woodland are most abundant. See these butterflies during a summer walk in the woods; they enjoy basking in dappled sunlight. They get their names from their love of shaded woodland combined with some patchy sunlight. These butterflies associate strongly with aphids because they feed primarily on honeydew as adults. Honeydew is a sugary sweet secretion that's a byproduct of aphid digestion. These butterflies seem to favour warmer climates as their numbers have sky-rocketed in recent years.
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Traits
Speckled Wood numbers have increased significantly in the last decade.
Appearance
Adult wings are brown-winged and brown bodied. The front wings possess an eyespot whereas the back wings have 4. Eyespots are initially orange and brown but eventually fade to yellow with age.
The larvae, or caterpillars, are a bright green and can look quite plump. They have very faint, creamy-yellow stripes that run laterally down the body.
Pupae, or cocoons, are almost a translucent green. You can see the wing veins if you look closely!
Creamy-white eggs are laid singularly beneath the leaves of false brome cock's-foot Yorkshire-fog and common couch.
Activity
Diurnal
Personality
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Nymphalidae
Metamorphosis
Complete
Distribution
A common butterfly widespread across Europe and some parts of Asia and Russia.
Biological treatment
Butterflies are considered essential pollinators. These butterflies will lay their eggs on false brome cock's-foot Yorkshire-fog and common couch, tending not to lay their eggs on garden plants. Generally speaking, they seldom cause problems in gardens, with anything in nature, there are always exceptions!
Chemical treatment
It's not recommended to use pesticides against these butterflies.
Attracts
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Plant Knowledge
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