| Family | Nymphalidae |
|---|---|
| Subfamily | Satyrinae |
| Genus | Hipparchia |
| Species | semele |
| Authority | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| English Name | 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 Grayling is found in dry, infertile surroundings, occurring on poor, dry grasslands, dry heaths, and also often at the coast. The males and females meet each other above a solitary tree in a wide open landscape, such as a pine on heathland. The female lays her eggs on various fine-leaved grasses, including fescues (Festuca spp.), bents (Agrostis spp.), and bromes (Bromus spp.). Walking over the bare ground, she approaches a grass tussock, and deposits an egg on a withered grass blade a few centimetres above the ground. The caterpillar grows very slowly, feeding mostly at night. It hibernates deep down in a grass tussock. When it is ready to pupate, it spins itself a sort of cocoon in a little hollow in the ground. The Grayling has one brood a year.
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