Speckled wood

Pararge aegeria

Prefered habitat -

woodland, grassland, urban areas, parks and pasture

Food Source

Caterpillar foodplants: grasses

Speckled wood butterflies are active during the day and feed on aphid honeydew, a sugary liquid excreted by small insects when they feed on plants.
They also feed on flowers and fruits when aphid activity is low.

Local Site -

Hendre Lake

A Bit About Me

Understated yet headstrong, the speckled wood spends its time basking in sun-dappled woodland and fiercely patrolling its patch between April and September.

Females are very choosy; they only mate once in their short lives, so it has to count! Males are fiercely territorial. If one strays into a rival's territory they will both spin through the woodland understorey in combat until one is bested. Eggs are laid on the food plant of the caterpillars, usually on the underside of the leaf. They hatch after one to three weeks depending on the weather. The hatched caterpillar will live and feed on the food plant, and can overwinter in the plant's base. It will go through phases of development, known as instars, and then pupate after about a month.

There are usually two generations of speckled wood per year, one in spring and one in summer.

Identification

Adult: the speckled wood has chocolate-brown wings with creamy-yellow eye spots. There is one black and white eye spot on the forewing and three on the hind.

Caterpillar: speckled wood caterpillars are bright green with faint dark green and yellow stripes.