Tree Grayling

Hipparchia statilinus (Hufnagel, 1766)

Status

Description

A dark brown medium sized butterfly, which normally rests with its wings closed, with the cryptically coloured underside blending well within the background. There is a large black spot, yellow ringed, usually with a white pupil on the forewing underside. The key diagnostic feature are two postdiscal white spots  in the centre of the forewing which are usually present, visible on both side. A very variable butterfly which can be confused with H. fatua, which has well defined basal, discal and submarginal wavy lines on the hindwing underside, and usually without the two white spots in the forewing. 

Habitat Requirements

Mostly found on rocky mountainous habitat in the north east of Corfu.

Larval Foodplants

Barren Brome Anisantha sterilis, Annual Meadow Grass Poa annua, Stipa capensis, Stipa pulcherrima.

Observations

In Greece permits are required to net butterflies and so if you do not have such a permit different identification techniques need be used to determine the species. Slow motion video photography, can be taken with a smart phone, to reveal the normally closed upperwings of the Tree Grayling, exposing the diagnostic double white spots on the forewings. 

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

First and Last Sightings

Year First Last/latest # Days
2022 28/07/2022 01/09/2022 35 days
2021 23/08/2021 30/08/2021 7 days

Number of Observations

Year Number of observations
2023 0
2022 11
2021 2
Grand Total 15

Distribution Map

Distribution maps for this species are currently unavailable.

Flight Times for the Tree Grayling (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 Tree Grayling (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: Tree Grayling
  • Family: Nymphalidae (Rafinesque, 1815)
  • Sub-family: Satyrinae (Boisduval, 1833)
  • Tribe: Satyrini (Boisduval, 1833)
  • Sub-tribe: Satyrina (Boisduval, 1833)
  • Genus: Hipparchia (Fabricius, 1807)
  • Species: statilinus (Hufnagel, 1766)

References

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