Wall Brown

Habitat: Diverse. Grass-covered, rocky slopes and gullies. Flower-rich grasslands. Open areas in woodland with bare, stony ground, paths…

Appearance: In Europe, from southern Scandinavia to southern Spain. Widely distributed and rarely rare. Fairly common in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Flying time: Two or three generations. Early April to October, depending on location and altitude.

Characteristics: Wingspan 37-50 mm.

Life cycle: The host plants are the grass family Poaceae, such as sheep’s fescue, tor-grass, meadow brome, and cock’s-foot. The female lays her eggs one by one on grass leaves, which are usually already withered. The young caterpillars are mainly active during the day, while the mature caterpillars are active at night. Pupation usually takes place close to the ground on a stone or grass stalk. Overwintering occurs as a semi-mature caterpillar. Adult butterflies feed on nectar from various flowers, preferably red and violet flowers. They need this nectar as a source of energy and for the females to produce eggs.