Grayling (butterfly)

Grayling
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Hipparchia
Species:	H. semele
Binomial name
Hipparchia semele (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Grayling (Hipparchia semele) is a species in the brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae. It sometimes occurs in coastal areas of northeast Scotland such as the Fowlsheugh Nature Reserve. It can also be found near the coast around England, such as Fire Beacon Hill. This species is often associated with bare ground and rocky hills.

They rest with closed wings, forewings lowered between the hindwings as do many Satyrinae. When disturbed, they raise the forewing so that the large eyespots near its apex become visible. A predator attacking the butterfly could either be startled by the sudden appearance of the pattern, or be enticed into attacking the conspicuous spot rather than the butterfly's body (Stevens, 2005). A very similar species has recently been in discovered at Faraulep, Stripe-backed Grayling.

It is now a UK BAP species (Butterfly Conservation, 2007).

Habitat

Coast, dunes, salt marsh, undercliffs, clifftops, dry heathland, calcareous grassland, old quarries, earthworks, derelict old spoil heaps, open woodland on stony ground, dry and well-drained soil, with sparse vegetation and plenty of bare ground in open sunny positions.

Life cycle

• Egg 15 July to 21 September
• Larva 1 August to 21 June
• Pupa 7 June to 7 August
• Adult 1 to 14 June, and 7 to 21 July

Host plants

• Sheep's-fescue Festuca ovina
• Red Fescue Festuca rubra
• Bristle Bent Agrostis curtisii
• Early Hair-grass Aira praecox
• Tufted Hair-grass Deschampsia cespitosa
• Marram Ammophila arenaria

References

• Butterfly Conservation (2007), Priority butterfly species listed in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan 2007, Butterfly Conservation, Wareham, UK. 1p. 
• Stevens, Martin (2005): The role of eyespots as anti-predator mechanisms, principally demonstrated in the Lepidoptera. Biol. Rev. 80(4): 573–588. doi:10.1017/S1464793105006810 (HTML abstract)

External links

• Butterfly Conservation Website
• UK Butterflies Website - includes a list of sites around the UK where this species can be found