Butterfly ID
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Field guide · Sweden
Brush-footed butterflies · Sweden

Woodland brown

Lopinga achine

Woodland brown is a locally faithful woodland butterfly that, in Sweden, is found only in two limited areas: central Östergötland and southern Gotland. It is entirely dependent on the host plant Carex and is covered by the EU’s Habitats Directive.

Status in this countryRare in SwedenNT (Near threatened)
Woodland brown
Photo: Kars Veling · CC BY 3.0

Flight period

The flight time occurs from the end of June to later half of July. The males lay their eggs approximately one week before the females.

Habitat

Open woodland with abundant wood sedge on humus-rich, preferably calcareous mineral soil. In Östergötland it inhabits mixed woodland with many clearings, oak and hazel, shaped by long-term grazing; on Gotland, open pine woodland with grassy ground vegetation and a shrub layer. The soil should be moderately moist, or alternate between moderately moist and wetter conditions. It is threatened by overgrowth, spruce planting and clear-cutting.

Identifying features

Wingspan 43–50 mm; the female is slightly larger, typically with larger eye spots. The upper side of the wings is dark grey-brown, with five black, yellow-edged eye spots on the forewing, without a white center, and three large, black, yellow-edged eye spots on the hindwing. The underside is greyish-yellow-brown with white-centred eye spots. The wing edges have double, slightly wavy, light yellow border lines, and within the eye spots, a scattered white cross-banding that shines through on the upper side.

Similar species

No similar species are described in the sources consulted.

Distribution

Occurs within two strongly limited areas: in central Östergötland, just south of Östgötaslätten, and centrally in the southern half of Gotland. Also present in a small area west of Ringsjön in Skåne during the 1800s. In Finland, expanding with a focus south of 61°N. The global distribution extends from France and northern Italy through Central Europe and Siberia to Japan, Korea, and northern China. Nationally extinct in several European countries; assessed as near threatened in Europe and within the EU.

Biology

The host plant is Carex species; larvae have also been found on Eriophorum. The female lays eggs while in flight, typically near Carex populations in scrub edges. The larva grows slowly and overwinters in the 3rd instar at the base of a grass tuft; pupation occurs from late May to early June, with the pupal stage lasting 2–3 weeks. Males patrol the sun-exposed sides of scrub edges, searching for unmated females. The butterflies have limited dispersal ability – during marking and recapture, they moved a maximum of 700 metres. They rarely visit flowers, obtaining most of their nutrition from honeydew.