gatekeeper
Pyronia tithonus

A medium-sized brown grassland butterfly

Habitat: rough grassy areas containing scrub, hedgerows, woodland edge and rides

Common across southern England and Wales

Upperwings orange with grey-brown borders and a large black eyespot, usually with two white pupils; wingspan 40–47mm

Jerky, fairly rapid flight, rarely flying across open areas or settling on the ground

Seem to prefer yellow flowers such as fleabane or ragwort, also bramble

Pale, almost spherical eggs laid on grass or vegetation sheltered by shrubs in July/August

Caterpillars feed at night on various tender grasses, hibernating when quite small

Pupate in June/July, the chrysalis hanging below vegetation