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Aglais io / Peacock Butterfly
Flutura sypallua e ditës
Nymphalidae - Nymphalinae
Aglais io (Linnaeus, 1758). TL: Sweden.
 
 
  
1a. Aglais io, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Aglais io upperside. Belgium (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Aglais io underside. Belgium (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Aglais io lateral. Belgium (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Aglais io caterpillar. Belgium (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1f. Aglais io scales in the hindwing. Belgium (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1g. Aglais io upperside. Kukaj Pastures Ship pass, Albania (© Lulëzim Shuka)
Description
♂♂
Medium size butterfly. Fw: 27-29 mm.
Ups: ruby-red gc, large ocellate marks on fw and hw.
Uns: dark brown-black gc.
♀♀
Slightly larger, similar markings.
Similar species
None.
Life cycle
Adults: overwintering, on the wing from early spring to May followed by a single generation, sometimes at low level a partial second generation in hot conditions, from June to September.
Egg: 5-14 days.
Caterpillar: 15-30 days, in early stages gregarious in a silk web, individually as full grown larva.
Pupa: 10-16 days.
Habitat
Aglais io inhabits open areas with flowery meadows with nettles from lowland up to 2500 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement considerable, population density often high, nomadic.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed mainly on Urtica dioica, also mentioned are U. pilulifera, U. urens, Humulus lupulus and Parietaria judaica.
Butterflies feed on all kind of flowers.
Distribution
Albania: widespread in the mountains.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Asia Minor, Near East, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.
Conservation status
Aglais io is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
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