| Family | Nymphalidae |
|---|---|
| Subfamily | Nymphalinae |
| Genus | Araschnia |
| Species | levana |
| Authority | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| English Name | Map |
| 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 Map is a common butterfly of woodland edges, coppices, hedgerows and wood banks. It normally has two generations a year, and the butterflies of the spring brood are predominantly orange, and those of the summer brood predominantly black on the upperside of the wings. The Map gets its name from the intricate pattern on the underside of its wings. These butterflies enjoy basking in the sun with their wings wide open, often on the ground. The Map has a dainty floating flight, but it settles again quite quickly. The foodplants are Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) and Small Nettle (U. urens). The eggs are deposited in short chains on the underside of the nettle leaves and look very much like threaded pearls. The caterpillars are gregarious, but do not spin a nest. They pupate on the foodplants, and pass the winter as a pupa.
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