LATTICE BROWN
This is a gorgeous butterfly, especially, the underside of the wings which are 58 to 62mm wide. The sexes have similar wing patterns although the male's black band on the upper forewing is darker. The upper forewings are orange with black and white markings, similar to a painted lady butterfly. The hindwing uppers are brown with orange spots centred black. The undersides are grey with orangey brown, wavy cross lines and yellow spots with black centres and a white spot in the middle. The outer edges of the wings are scalloped.
The lattice brown butterfly can be found in a variety of habitats such as warm, dry grasslands and scrubland with rocks near woodland. Also, stone walls, olive groves, vineyards and forest verges. There is 1 generation of this species, which is on the wing between April and September. The eggs are laid on broad-leaved grasses, often at the foot of walls or rocks. The caterpillars are spindle shaped, green with longitudinal yellowish and pale green stipes. The caterpillars hibernate over Winter and pupate in the Spring.
