Great Banded Grayling & Medioluto ibérica

Description:

Brintesia circe reaches on average 65–80 millimetres (2.6–3.1 in) of wingspan. Wings are mainly black or dark brown. They have a broad white band at the edge of the basal area of all wings and usually a second white streak on the lower wings. The black eyespots on the underside of the upper wings have a white contour. Brintesia circe is quite similar to Hipparchia fagi, but in the last one the second white streak on the lowers wings is always missing and the eyespots has a yellow contour. These butterflies usually rest on the branches of a tree, protected by their cryptic markings, but ready to take off and fly away when disturbed.

Habitat:

The species can be found in Central and Southern Europe (Spain, France, Italy, Greece, southern Germany and Poland), in Anatolia and the Caucasus up to Iran.These butterflies prefer light woodland, grasslands bordering forest edges and generally dry and bushy environments, at an altitude of 0–1,600 metres (0–5,200 ft) above sea level.