Speckled wood

Pararge aegeria aegeria

A medium-sized to large brown butterfly with a wingspan of 45-56 mm, females often larger, the wings are dark brown and golden-orange with conspicuous eyespots, reminiscent of the wall brown, vaguely resembles tortoiseshells and fritillaries from a distance but differs in behaviour. The speckled inhabits many different types of habitats, such as coasts, riversides, damp meadows, glades, and steppes, but prefers woodland and forest clearings. Host plants include coach-grass (Agropyron repens), Bermuda-grass (Cynodon dactylon), orchard-grass (Dactylis glomerata), barleys (Hordeum spp.), bromes (Bromus spp.), false-bromes (Brachypodium spp.), meadow-grasses (Poa spp.), and others. It flies late February through early October in several broods, the flight is described as erratic.

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