Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera)
Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera)
Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera)
Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera)
Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera)
Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera)

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Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera)


Photo © Rudi Verovnik
FamilyNymphalidae
SubfamilySatyrinae
GenusLasiommata
Speciesmaera
Authority(Linnaeus, 1758)
English NameLarge Wall Brown
European Red List 2010Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2010Least Concern (LC)
European Red List 2025Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2025Least Concern (LC)
Habitats Directive
Bern Convention
CITES

Description

The Large Wall Brown occurs in quite different habitats. It is mainly found in warm, dry places near rocks, and poor grassland, or on rough vegetation near woodland edges. However, it can also occur on damp grassland and rough vegetation near wood margins. The butterflies need a lot of nectar, often visiting purple or pink flowers of thistles and other nectar-rich plants. The female lays her eggs on the blades of grasses that include Holcus spp., bents (Agrostis spp.), and small-reeds (Calamagrostis spp.). The caterpillars hibernate when half-grown in a grass tussock, and pupate later deep down in the vegetation. The Large Wall Brown has one brood a year in the north of its distribution range, and two a year in the south.

Distribution

Albania / Andorra / Austria / Belarus / Belgium / Belgium: Flanders (Irregular Vagrant) / Belgium: Wallonia / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bulgaria / Croatia / Cyprus / Czechia / Denmark (Irregular Vagrant) / Estonia / Finland / France / France: Mainland / Germany / Greece / Greece: Mainland / Greece: East Aegean Islands / Hungary / Italy / Italy: Mainland / Italy: Sicily / Latvia / Liechtenstein / Lithuania / Luxembourg / North Macedonia / Moldova / Montenegro / Netherlands (Irregular Vagrant) / Norway / Poland / Portugal / Portugal: Mainland / Romania / European Russia / Serbia / Serbia: Serbia / Serbia: Kosovo / Slovakia / Slovenia / Spain / Spain: Mainland / Spain: Balearic Islands / Sweden / Switzerland / European Türkiye / Ukraine /

Larval Foodplants

#OrderFamilyGenusSpeciesVernacular NameLink
1PoalesPoaceaeAgrostisBents
2PoalesPoaceaeAgrostiscapillarisCommon Bent
3PoalesPoaceaeAvenellaflexuosaWavy Hair-grass
4PoalesPoaceaeBrachypodiumphoenicoides
5PoalesPoaceaeBrachypodiumpinnatumHeath False-brome
6PoalesPoaceaeBromussterilis
7PoalesPoaceaeCalamagrostisepigejosWood Small-reed
8PoalesPoaceaeCalamagrostisvaria
9PoalesPoaceaeDactylisglomerataCock's-foot
10PoalesPoaceaeElymusrepensCommon Couch
11PoalesPoaceaeFestucaovinaSheep's-fescue
12PoalesPoaceaeFestucarubraRed Fescue
13PoalesPoaceaeHelictochloapratensisMeadow Oat-grass
14PoalesPoaceaeHolcusmollisCreeping Soft-grass
15PoalesPoaceaeMelicaMelicks
16PoalesPoaceaeNardusstrictaMat-grass
17PoalesPoaceaePhleumpratenseTimothy
18PoalesPoaceaePoaannuaAnnual Meadow-grass
19PoalesPoaceaePoabulbosaBulbous Meadow-grass
20PoalesPoaceaePoapratensisSmooth Meadow-grass