MEADOW BROWN
The meadow brown is one of the commonest butterflies in Europe. They have a wingspan of 36 to 46mm. The male and female meadow browns have different markings, with the female being the more colourful. The male's upper wings are light brown, with a black spot near the top of the forewing. This black spot has a white dot in the centre. The female has an orange or tawny patch around this black spot. The underside of the forewing is ochre coloured, bordered with brown, with the same spot, whilst the underside hindwing is greyish brown with an orange band on the females.
The male meadow brown is much more active than the female and will range far and wide. The female flies less and often will stay in the area that they grew up. This butterfly can be seen everywhere. Fields, meadows, forests, parks, orchards, on mountain sides and along the coast. They only produce 1 generation a year and can be seen from early Spring, through Summer and into the Autumn. The adult's feed on nectar and the caterpillars feed on numerous species of grasses. The caterpillars are bright green with short white hairs and a dark line down the back.
