Ringlet Butterfly
aphantopus hyperantus
Ringlet caterpillars feed on coarse grasses, such as Cock's-foot, False Brome, Tufted Hair-grass, Common Couch and meadow grasses. They especially like lush growth in partial shade on a clay soil.
We start spotting the velvety-brown Ringlet butterfly on dull, cloudy summer days when most other butterflies are inactive. It has a distinctive, bobbing flight as it seeks out nectar from bramble and wild privet and weaves through long the grass it prefers for laying its eggs.
When newly emerged, the Ringlet is almost black, with a white fringe to the wings. The small circles on the underwings, which give the butterfly its name, vary in number and size
The Ringlet is comparatively common in the East Midlands, but its numbers fluctuate from year to year.
Life Cycle
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