Maniola jurtina

The Meadow Brown is one of our commonest and most widespread butterflies and a familiar sight across the British Isles during the summer months. This is a brown butterfly with an orange patch on each wing surrounding a black eye spot with a single white 'pupil'. The amount of orange on the forewings and the number of black spots found on the underside of the hind wings can vary. It can be found in almost any grassy habitat, especially grasslands where the sward is of a medium height, where populations can reach thousands. Even in heavily grazed meadows, the butterfly can usually be found around the field margins. Typical habitats include grassland, woodland rides, field margins, hedgerows, road verges and even overgrown gardens.