The Western European Ringlet Butterfly (Aphantopus hyperantus hyperantus) is an insect in the Nymphalidae family of butterflies.
The Western European Ringet Butterfly has chocolate brown to black wings and a dark-brown hairy body. The upper and lower sides of its wings are solid brown with small, yellow-ringed eyespots. The number of eyespots is variable. The juvenile butterfly has a velvety appearance and is almost black with a white fringe (margin) on each wing. It lightens in colour as it ages.
It is a small to medium-sized butterfly. Its wingspan is 3-4 centimetres (1-1.5 inches).
The Ringet Butterfly is common across most of Europe and into Asia. The Western European Ringlet Butterfly is found primarily in Spain, Portugal, and France.
It prefers grassy and woodland areas with bushes, but not open areas. It is generally seen from mid-June to late August in the Northern Hemisphere.
The life cycle is egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa, and adult butterfly. This transformation is called metamorphosis.
The female butterfly lays eggs in flight and they are scattered over grasslands. The egg hatches into a caterpillar, which feeds on grasses and plant leaves. The caterpillar is nocturnal.
The caterpillar pupates in a chrysalis attached to a blade of grass. A butterfly emerges from the chrysalis. The butterfy is diurnal, active during the day. The adult butterfly sips nectar from flowers.
Location of photographs: Paris, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM