| Family | Nymphalidae |
|---|---|
| Subfamily | Satyrinae |
| Genus | Hyponephele |
| Species | lycaon |
| Authority | (Kühn, 1774) |
| English Name | Dusky Meadow Brown |
| 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 Dusky Meadow Brown occurs in many different sorts of grassland. It is important that its habitat is dry and warm. In the north of its range, the grassland is steppe-like, and more to the south the butterfly is found on closer vegetation. It uses various grasses as foodplant, including fescues (Festuca spp.), false-bromes (Brachypodium spp.), and Stipa species. When the female is about to lay an egg, she first alights on the ground and walks to a foodplant, then she chooses a low-hanging grass blade on which to deposit an egg. The caterpillar hibernates in the first larval instar and only starts feeding in the spring. At first, it feeds mainly during day, but when the weather gets too warm, it only feeds at night. Pupation takes place deep in the vegetation or litter layer. The Dusky Meadow Brown is single- brooded.
Albania / Andorra / Austria / Belarus / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bulgaria / Croatia / Czechia (Regionally Extinct) / Estonia / Finland / France / France: Mainland / Germany / Greece / Greece: Mainland / Greece: East Aegean Islands / Hungary (Regionally Extinct) / Italy / Italy: Mainland / Italy: Sicily / Latvia / Lithuania / North Macedonia / Moldova / Montenegro / Poland / Portugal / Portugal: Mainland / Romania / European Russia / Serbia / Serbia: Serbia / Serbia: Kosovo / Slovakia / Slovenia (Regionally Extinct) / Spain / Spain: Mainland / Switzerland / Ukraine /