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TranslateCoenonympha pamphilus
Coenonympha pamphilus (Linnaeus 1758) common name: Small Heath
Family: Nymphalidae
Flight period: Mid-May to October
Average wingspan:34mm male to 38mm female.
Widespread throughout Britain except the Orkneys and Shetland. Found all over Europe mainly where wild fine-leaved grasses are growing so absent from mountainous regions. This species lives in discrete colonies and the adults rarely fly far from the colony. When an adult does decide to venture further afield the chances are it will colonise, if it finds a suitable habitat.
Habitat: Most colonies are mainly small but larger colonies can be found on any unimproved land dominated by fine grasslands for example: heaths, moorlands, dunes, along the coast and limestone downs.
Males sometimes get together to put on a communal display, this gives them more of a visual chance in attracting females, than just a single male displaying on his own.
The eggs are bowl shaped with about 50 thin vertical ridges and are pale yellow in colour with rust-coloured blotches. Laid singly, low down on the fine grass blades.
The young caterpillars feed on small grass clumps, when fully grown are green in colour with white and pink stripes along the body with a white pointed tail.
The chrysalis is well camouflaged, but occasionally can be seen hanging beneath a grass stem.
This Small Heath butterfly always settles with the wings closed so only the undersides markings are only showing, this is the smallest of Britain’s “Brown” species.
Read MoreFamily: Nymphalidae
Flight period: Mid-May to October
Average wingspan:34mm male to 38mm female.
Widespread throughout Britain except the Orkneys and Shetland. Found all over Europe mainly where wild fine-leaved grasses are growing so absent from mountainous regions. This species lives in discrete colonies and the adults rarely fly far from the colony. When an adult does decide to venture further afield the chances are it will colonise, if it finds a suitable habitat.
Habitat: Most colonies are mainly small but larger colonies can be found on any unimproved land dominated by fine grasslands for example: heaths, moorlands, dunes, along the coast and limestone downs.
Males sometimes get together to put on a communal display, this gives them more of a visual chance in attracting females, than just a single male displaying on his own.
The eggs are bowl shaped with about 50 thin vertical ridges and are pale yellow in colour with rust-coloured blotches. Laid singly, low down on the fine grass blades.
The young caterpillars feed on small grass clumps, when fully grown are green in colour with white and pink stripes along the body with a white pointed tail.
The chrysalis is well camouflaged, but occasionally can be seen hanging beneath a grass stem.
This Small Heath butterfly always settles with the wings closed so only the undersides markings are only showing, this is the smallest of Britain’s “Brown” species.
