| Family | Nymphalidae |
|---|---|
| Subfamily | Satyrinae |
| Genus | Brintesia |
| Species | circe |
| Authority | (Fabricius, 1775) |
| English Name | Great Banded Grayling |
| European Red List 2010 | Least Concern (LC) |
|---|---|
| EU 27 Red List 2010 | Least Concern (LC) |
| European Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| EU 27 Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| Habitats Directive | |
| Bern Convention | |
| CITES |
The Great Banded Grayling is immediately noticeable by its size, and is one of the largest butterflies of Europe. It glides more than it flies, and can be seen on dry grasslands at the edges of woodland, and on poor and moderately nutrient-rich agricultural land. The butterflies need quite a lot of nectar, and are easily observed on the purple flowers of thistles and other plants. The females release their eggs into the vegetation, sometimes while perched, often while in flight. The caterpillars can use most grasses as a foodplant. The tiny caterpillar first hibernates in a grass tussock, only in the spring beginning to feed and grow. The caterpillars pupates in a sort of cocoon in a little hollow in the ground. This butterfly species is single-brooded.
Albania / Andorra / Austria / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bulgaria / Croatia / Czechia / France / France: Mainland / France: Corsica / Germany / Greece / Greece: Mainland / Greece: East Aegean Islands / Greece: Kirti (Crete) / Hungary / Italy / Italy: Mainland / Italy: Sardinia / Italy: Sicily / Luxembourg (Regionally Extinct) / North Macedonia / Moldova / Montenegro / Poland (Irregular Vagrant) / Portugal / Portugal: Mainland / Romania / European Russia / Serbia / Serbia: Serbia / Serbia: Kosovo / Slovakia / Slovenia / Spain / Spain: Mainland / Switzerland / European Türkiye / Ukraine /