Brown Argus

Habitat: Dry or moist, grassy, flower-rich areas. On calcareous soils.

Appearance: Common and widespread in Europe, northern Spain, eastwards through southern Great Britain to Denmark and southern Sweden. Spotted on most Mediterranean islands. Spread populations in Belgium and the Netherlands. Absent from the Balearic Islands, Ireland, Scotland, western Denmark, Latvia and Estonia.

Flying time: Two generations. May/June and July/September.

Characteristics: Wingspan 22-30 mm.

Life cycle: The female lays her eggs on the upper side of the plants. The most important host plants for the caterpillar are Erodium, Helianthemum, Geranium pusillum. The caterpillars eat the leaves as well as the flowers, fruits and growing points. It overwinters as a half-grown caterpillar in the dead leaf layer and, when the caterpillar is fully grown, it often emerges in the dead leaf layer or just below the ground, close to the host plant. The adult butterflies have a short life span, usually 3 to 7 days. During this period, they seek nectar on various flowers and reproduce to repeat the cycle.