Ringlet

Description:

The Ringlet is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is only one of the numerous ringlet butterflies in the tribe Satyrini. Aphantopus hyperantus is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of up to 35 to 42 millimeters. The wing upper and lower sides are solid brown with small, yellowish-rimmed eye-spots . The number and size of the eye spots is variable, they may be missing on the upper wing surface. In central Europe and southern England the rare form arete occurs. The eggs are pale yellow when first laid, but become pale brown. The caterpillars are about 25 millimeters long. They are grey or light reddish brown and have dark, reddish brown and very fine dots. Dorsally there is a dark longitudinal line, which is widened at the segment boundaries. Toward the rear, this line is more intensely colored. The head is darker and has several faint longitudinal stripes.

Habitat:

They live in grassy, moist or dry forest clearings with bushes but not in open places. There is a strong degree of attachment to woodland edges and blackberry bushes. The insect can also be very common where there are creeping thistles or swamp thistles, oregano, forest scabious, or hogweed which are favourite foodplants of the imagos. The males fly in search of newly hatched females in slow, uninterrupted flight and flutter round, about and between grass stems.

Notes:

Spotted on blackberry bushes in rural area of Deventer, Holland.