Ringlet Butterfly
aphantopus hyperantus
Ringlet caterpillars feed on coarse grasses, such as Cock's-foot, False Brome, Tufted Hair-grass, Common Couch and meadow grasses. They especially like lush growth in partial shade on a clay soil.
We start spotting the velvety-brown Ringlet butterfly on dull, cloudy summer days when most other butterflies are inactive. It has a distinctive, bobbing flight as it seeks out nectar from bramble and wild privet and weaves through long the grass it prefers for laying its eggs.
​
When newly emerged, the Ringlet is almost black, with a white fringe to the wings. The small circles on the underwings, which give the butterfly its name, vary in number and size
​
The Ringlet is comparatively common in the East Midlands, but its numbers fluctuate from year to year.
Life Cycle
To Learn More
