The Satyrs and Wood-nymphs (Satyrinae), the biggest subfamily of the Brush-footed butterflies (Nymphalidae), are generally inconspicuous and brown in color. Probably, this is the reason that there is a lack of interest in this subfamily. Compared to other species the color gives them a dull look. At the underside of the wings, they have circular eye-spots to which they owe their family name. The host plant is usually a species that belongs to the grasses. It is not always easy to identify the Satyrs and Wood-nymphs.
Tribe: Satyrini
Subtribe: Coenonympha
Genus: Coenonympha
Small Heath – 2015 (NL)
The Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) is a common butterfly that flies around for two or three generations from March to October. It is an unnoted butterfly that flies only in sunshine and rarely settles more than a meter above the ground. The habitat is on grassland where there are fine grasses, especially in dry, well-drained situations where the grasses are short and sparse. The underside of the hindwing usually has small brown-rimmed white dots. The top is light orange-brown. The wingspan is 34-38mm. Host plant: bents, fescues, and meadow grasses. Dutch name: Hooibeestje. Frisian name: Heaflinter.
Tribe: Satyrini
Subtribe: Coenonympha
Genus: Coenonympha
Common Heath – 2018 (NL)
A critically endangered and rare butterfly is the Common Heath (Coenonympha tullia). In the Fochtelooerveen (Netherlands) in particular, this species is slowly returning due to remedial measures taken. This habitat consists of wet boggy areas. The top of the wings is brown with a small black eye-spot at the apex of the forewing. The underside of the forewing is orange at the base, which changes by a white blotch into light brown. The underside of the hindwing is brown. On both wings is a row of black eye-spots at the outer edge with a white core and a yellow border around it. Characteristic is the white blotch on the outer edge of the hindwing that runs up to the wing edge. The wingspan is 41mm. Adults always sit with their wings closed and can fly even in quite dull weather. The flight period is from June to August in one generation. Host plant: Hare’s-tail Cottongrass. Dutch name: Veenhooibeestje. Frisian name: Feanheaflinter.
Tribe: Satyrini
Subtribe: Maniolina
Genus: Maniola
Meadow Brown – 2008 (FR)
The Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) is often mistaken for a Small Heath if the butterfly is sitting with its wings closed. An important difference is that the Meadow Brown does not have small white dots on the underside of the hindwing. As soon as the Meadow Brown spreads the wings, the difference is clearly visible. In the male, the top of the forewing is brown with a black eye-spot without a white core, in the female, on the other hand, an orange field and a black eye-spot with a white core can be seen. Sometimes a double white core like the Gatekeeper (Manolia tithonus) could occur. The top of the hindwing is brown on both species. The Meadow Brown is the most abundant butterfly species in many habitats. Adults fly even in dull weather when most other butterflies are inactive. The wingspan is 50-55mm. Host plant: fescues, bents, meadow grasses, Cock’s-foot, False Brome. Dutch name: Bruin zandoogje. Frisian name: Brún sâneachje.
Tribe: Satyrini
Subtribe: Maniolina
Genus: Maniola
Subgenus: Aphantopus
Ringlet – 2016 (NL)
A newly Ringlet (Maniola hyperantus) has a velvety appearance and is almost black on top for both wings, with white fringes. The underside is light brown and has distinctive yellow-rimmed black eye-spots with a white core. The small circles on the hindwing, which give the butterfly its name, vary in number and size and could be enlarged and elongated or reduced to small white spots. The wingspan is 48-52mm. Bramble and Wild Privet flowers are nectar sources, and adults continue to fly with a characteristic bobbing flight in dull, cloudy conditions when most other butterflies are inactive. This common butterfly flies in one generation from June to August. Host plant: Cock’s-foot, False Brome, Tufted Hair-grass, Common Couch, and meadow-grasses. Dutch name: Koevinkje. Frisian name: Donker sâneachje.
Tribe: Satyrini
Subtribe: Maniolina
Genus: Maniola
Subgenus: Pyronia
Gatekeeper – 2008 (FR)
The Gatekeeper or Hedge Brown (Manolia tithonus) can be distinguished from the Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) by the orange upper side with a broad brown edge on both the fore- and hindwing. A black eye with a double white core is visible at the apex of the forewing. This is not a characteristic that gives a definite answer, because the female of the Meadow Brown sometimes also has a double white core. The wingspan is 40-47mm. The Gatekeeper flies in one generation from July to September and as its name suggests, he is often encountered where clumps of flowers grow in gateways and along hedgerows and field edges. Favorite nectar sources include Wild Marjoram, Common Fleabane, ragworts, and Bramble. Host plant: bents, fescues, meadow grasses, and Common Couch. Dutch name: Oranje zandoogje. Frisian name: Oranje sâneachje.
Tribe: Satyrini
Subtribe: Melanargiina
Genus: Melanargia
Marbled White – 2022 (DE)
During a visit to the “1000-butterfly valley” in the Eifel region in Germany, I came across the Marbled White (Melanargia galathea), a butterfly that you do not encounter in the north of the Netherlands. You would rather expect this butterfly in the family of the Whites and Sulfurs because of its color, but it is still counted among the Satyrs and Wood-nymphs. Both the under and top of the wings are white with many black areas on the top of the wings along the edges and at the base. There are also black areas on the underside of the wings, while those on the rear wing are more light grey. The female can often be recognized by the light brown spots on the underside, which is otherwise mainly light yellow. Both the male and female have a number of eye spots on the underside of the wings. The flight period is in one generation from mid-June to August and the wingspan is 55mm. Host: Red Fescue, Sheep’s-fescue, Tor-grass, and Cock’s-foot. Dutch name: Dambordje. Frisian name: –
Stam: Satyrini
Subtribe: Mycalesina
Genus: Orsotriaena
Dark Grass-brown – 2022 (INA)
When I travel I always look around for new butterflies. In Bali, near the hotel, a very agile butterfly flew that I had trouble getting a picture of. In the end, you just have to be happy with what you can make of it before it flies away for good. The Dark Grass-brown (Orsotriaena medus) is just as agile as its congeners and just as difficult to photograph at certain times. The tops of the wings are dark brown with a thin marginal pale edge. There are no eye spots on the top of the wings, which is the case on the underside of both the front and rear wings. There are five eye spots on the underside of the wings. In the forewing, there are two eye spots, with the anterior eye spot being slightly smaller. In the rear wing, you can see two eye spots near the wing tip and a separate eye spot near the inner edge corner. On both, the hind and rear wing a white band runs along the eyespots. The butterfly basks in the sun, often with its body parallel to the sun’s rays. The wingspan is 45-55mm. Host plant: grasses. Dutch name: Donker grasbruintje. Frisian name: –
Tribe: Satyrini
Subtribe: Parargina
Genus: Lasiommata
Wall Brown – 2015 (NL)
The Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) is a butterfly that occurs throughout the Netherlands from March to October in several generations. It has a similar size and color as the Gatekeeper (Manolia tithonus), but the Wall Brown is much more heavily patterned and sometimes confused with small fritillary butterflies. The Wall Brown is aptly named after its habit of basking on walls, rocks, and stony places. The delicately patterned light brown undersides provide good camouflage against a stony and sandy surface. In hot weather, males patrol fast and low over the ground, seeking females. In cooler weather, they will bask in sunny spots and fly up to intercept females, or to drive off other males. Both the fore- and hindwing are orange at the top with brown veins and hem stripes. On both wingtips of the forewing is a black dot with a white core. The male is distinguished from the female by the hairy scent stripe on the upper side of the forewing. The wingspan is 44-46mm. Host plant: False Brome, Cock’s-foot, bents, Wavy Hair-grass. Dutch name: Argusvlinder. Frisian name: Argusflinter.
Tribe: Satyrini
Subtribe: Parargina
Genus: Pararge
Speckled Wood – 2018 (NL)
The Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) is very easy to identify. The top of the wing is dark brown with many yellow spots that are larger in the female than in the male. The yellow spots close to the dorsum have black spots with a small white core, as well as on both wingtips of the forewings. The wingspan is 47-50mm. The butterflies often perch in sunny spots, spiraling into the air to chase each other to intercept an intruder. Both sexes feed on honeydew in the treetops and are rarely seen feeding on flowers, except early and late in the year when aphid activity is low. This satyr flies around in several generations from February to November. Host plant: False Brome, Cock’s-foot and Common Couch. Dutch name: Bont zandoogje. Frisian name: Bûnt sâneachje.
