Small Heath

Coenonympha pamphilus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Status

Description

A small chestnut coloured butterfly. The upperside is a plain chestnut colour, with a grey-brown marginal border. The forewing underside is chestnut, with a black spot, white-pupiled. The hindwing is greyish brown with a pale postdiscal streak. Males and females are similar. The markings are distinctive, so shouldn’t be confused with any other species in Corfu. 

Habitat Requirements

Found in dry grasslands, roadsides and cultivated areas.

Larval Foodplants

Anthoxanthum ovatum, Crested Dog's-tail Cynosurus cristatus, Cock's-foot Dactylis glomerata subsp. Hispanica, Annual Meadow Grass Poa annua.

Observations

Shows some seasonal dimorphism in wing colour.

*The information provided in the tables below is based on verified sightings of the Small Heath submitted via this website since 1st January 2021.

First and Last Sightings

Year First Last/latest # Days
2023 31/03/2023 23/05/2023 53 days
2022 09/04/2022 09/12/2022 244 days
2021 12/04/2021 09/11/2021 211 days

Number of Observations

Year Number of observations
2023 159
2022 265
2021 147
Grand Total 571

Distribution Map

Distribution maps for this species are currently unavailable.

Flight Times for the Small Heath (2023)

The chart below shows flight data by month for 2023 submitted online since 1st January 2023 to 28th May 2023.

Flight Times for the Small Heath (All Data)

The chart below shows flight data by month based on all data submitted online since 1st January 2019 to 28th May 2023.

Taxonomy

  • Vernacular/Common Name: Small Heath
  • Family: Nymphalidae (Rafinesque, 1815)
  • Sub-family: Satyrinae (Boisduval, 1833)
  • Tribe: Satyrini (Boisduval, 1833)
  • Sub-tribe: Coenonymphina (Tutt 1896)
  • Genus: Coenonympha (Hübner, 1819)
  • Species: pamphilus (Linnaeus, 1758)

References

For a list of references, please see our bibliography page.