deutsch / english | See: Whites,Yellows,Mimic Sulphurs Marbled Whites,Graylings,Ringlets,Browns Fritillaries Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks ![]() |
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MARBLED WHITES, GRAYLINGS, RINGLETS and BROWNS compared Baldia's help to identify 29 Central European Satyrinae |
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29 butterflies with "eyes" - respectively ocelli - at a glance! The typical features are discribed with the help of photos. Short outdoor videos make it easier to identify them. The species that are most likely to be encountered in Austria, Central Europe, are described in black letters. The eastern and southern parts of Austria are warmer than the western, where you find mountains up to ~3800m (12500 feet) called Alps. |
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![]() Marbled White male (video) (Melanargia galathea) 1...grey-black chequered pattern, 2... fringes strongly chequered 3... upperside, flies approx. mid May to mid Sep. Austria-wide on meadows up to 1800m (5900ft). |
![]() Marbled White female (video) (Melanargia galathea) 1...mustard colored chequered pattern, 2... fringes strongly chequered 3... upperside, flies approx. mid May to mid Sep. Austria-wide on meadows up to 1800m (5900ft). |
![]() Marbled White "leucomelas" (Melanargia galathea f. leucomelas) 1... hindwing underside light without pattern, otherwise checkerboard patterned, 2... fringes strongly chequered 3... upperside, flies approx. Jun.-Jul. possibly in warm eastern or southern Austria on meadows up to 1800m (5900ft). |
![]() Great Branded Grayling (video) (Brintesia circe) 1... TWO white bands, 2... Forewing: white band is interrupted, 3... forewing dark with three white marginal spots, 4... fringes chequered, 5... upperside brown with interrupted white band, flies approx. Jun.-Sep. widespread throughout Austria on bushy dry grass below 1700m (5600ft). |
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![]() Woodland Grayling (video) (Hipparchia fagi) 1... white mottled band, 2... discal line slightly jagged, 3... forewing dark, ocelli in beige-yellow band, 4... fringes chequered, 5... upperside with light beige spots, hindwing: bright spots arranged in an arc, very similar to the Rock Grayling, but larger and much more common, flies approx Jun.-Sep. throughout Austria on bushy meadows near forests rather below 1000m (3300ft). |
![]() Rock Grayling (Hipparchia alcyone) 1... strong white band, 2... discal line with high spike, 3... forewing dark, ocelli in beige band, 4... fringes chequered, 5... upperside with light beige spots, hindwing: bright spots arranged in an arc with bend, very similar to the Woodland Grayling, but smaller and much rarer, flies approx. Jun.-Sep. in north-eastern Austria on rocky forest clearings over 500m (1600ft). |
![]() Grayling (video) (Hipparchia semele) 1... roughly mottled band, 2... discal line with hihgh spike, 3... forewing orange-yellow with TWO big ocelli, 4... fringes chequered, 5... upperside brown with orange spots, flies approx. Jun.-Sep. widespread troughout Austria near warm, dry bushy regions up to 2000m (6600ft). |
![]() False Grayling (video) (Arethusana arethusa) 1... roughly mottled pale band, 2... discal line slightly wavy, 3... forewing orange with ONE large and sometimes a second small ocellus, 4... fringes chequered, 5... upperside brown with orange spots, flies approx. Jul.-Sep. sporadically on warm, dry grasslands in eastern Austria up to 2000m (6600ft). |
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![]() Meadow Brown female (video) (Maniola jurtina f.) 1... fine mottled light band, 2... discal line with high spike, 3... forewing orange, ONE ocellus in yellow band, 4... fringes not chequered, 5... upperside forewing orange with a white centered ocellus, flies approx. end of May-Sep. throughout Austria on high meadows up to 1600m (5200ft). |
![]() Meadow Brown male (video) (Maniola jurtina m.) 1... fine mottled pale band, 2... pale discal line with high spike, 3... forewing orange with ONE ocellus, 4... fringes not chequered, 5... upperside brown with an ocellus mostly white centered, flies approx. end of May-Sep. throughout Austria on high meadows up to 1600m (5200ft). |
![]() Dusky Meadow Brown male *3 (Hyponephele lycaon m.) 1... fine mottled pale band, 2... discal line slightly wavy, 3... forewing orange with ONE ocellus, 4... finges hardly chequered, 5... forewing without discal line, 6... upperside forewing pale orange with an ocellus NOT white centered, flies approx. Jun.-Aug. locally in eastern and southern Austria on bushy, rocky meadows up to 2100m (6900ft). |
![]() Dusky Meadow Brown female*2 (Hyponephele lycaon f.) 1... fine mottled pale band, 2... discal line slightly wavy, 3... forewing orange with TWO ocelli, 4... finges hardly chequered, 5... forewing with discal line, 6... upperside forewing brown-orange, two ocelli NOT white centered in orange band, flies approx. Jun.-Aug. locally in eastern and southern Austria on bushy, rocky meadows up to 2100m (6900ft). |
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![]() Tree Grayling male (video) (Hipparchia statilinus) 1... mottled gray and light band, 2... distinct discal line jagged, 3... forewing gray with gray-white discalstripe, 4... forewing: TWO WHITE DOTS between the large ocelli rurrounded by yellow, 5... forewing-fringes chequered, 6... upperside brown, on the forewing two white dots between the dark ocelli, flies approx. Jul.-Oct. in warm, dry, rocky places in eastern and southern Austria up to 1400m (4600ft) and is rare. |
![]() Tree Grayling female (video) (Hipparchia statilinus) 1... grey-brown mottled and possiblya light band, 2... pale discal line jagged, 3... forewing grey-brown with brown-white discalstripe, 4... forewing: TWO WHITE DOTS betwenn the large ocelli surrounded by yellow, 5... forewing-fringes chequered, 6... upperside brown, on the forewing two white dots between the orange ringed ocelli, flies approx. Jul.-Oct. in warm, dry, rocky places in eastern and southern Austria up to 1400m (4600ft) and is rare. |
![]() The Hermit female (video) (Chazara briseis f.) 1... mottled beige-grey, 2... very pale band, 3... grey-beige, high-contrast forewing with a conspicuous dark spot, 4... two forewing-ocelli in light band, 5... forewing-fringes lightly chequered, 6... upperside brown with white spots and light forewing edge, flies approx. Jul.-Oct. in warm, dry, rocky places in eastern and southern Austria below 2000m (6600ft) and is rare. |
![]() The Hermit male (video) (Chazara briseis m.) 1... light beige with two brown spots, 2... brownish band postdiscal, 3... bright, high-contrast forewing with a conspicuous dark spot, 4... two forewing-ocelli in light band, 5... forewing-fringes lightly chequered, 6... upperside brown with white spots and light forewing edge, flies approx. Jul.-Oct. in warm, dry, rocky places in eastern and southern Austria below 2000m (6600ft) and is rare. |
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![]() Chestnut Heath (video) (Coenonympha glycerion) small, 1... some white spots postdiscal on mustard gray wing, 2... orange-grey marginal stripes, 3... upperside (rarely seen) orange and brown, flies approx. Jun.-Aug. throughout Austria on bushy meadows below 1800m (5900ft). |
![]() Large Heath *2 1... scattered white spots on mustard gray wing, 2... WITHOUT marginal stripe, 3... white line on forewing, 4... upper side orange and brown, flies approx. Jun.-Aug. rather northern Austria near swamps below 1200m (3900ft). |
![]() Pearly Heath (video) 1... wide, continuous, white band with adjacent conspicuous ocelli, 2... first ocellus offset basally, 3... orange-grey marginal stripe, 4... upperside (rarely seen) orange-brown, flies approx. Jun.-Oct. throughout Austria on bushy meadows up to 1800m (5900ft). |
![]() Woodland Brown (video) (Lopinga achine) very rare, 1... remarkably large, yellow-rimmed ocelli, 2... yellow line on the fore-wing, 3... white band on the hindwing, 4... upperside brown with large ocelli ringed with yellow, flies approx. Jun.-Aug. Austria-wide near semi-shady edge of forest at 200-1500m (660-4900ft). |
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![]() Ringlet (video) 1... two of five ocelli offset basally, on brown hindwing, 2... very LIGHT fringes, 3... upperside male brown with small ocelli, 4... upperside female brown with larger ocelli, flies approx. Jun.-Sep. Austria-wide on meadows near the forest up to 1600m (5200ft). |
![]() False Ringet (Coenonympha oedippus) 1... first ocellus offset basally, 2... silver marginal stripe, 3... narrow light stripe under the ocelli, 4... fringes not checkered, 5... upperside brown and hardly any ocelli, flies approx. Jun.-Jul. in wet areas of north-eastern Austria at 150-500m (500-1600ft) and is very rare. |
![]() Small Heath (video) (Coenonympha pamphilus) small, 1... (often pale) discal line with two arches on grey-beige wing, 2... NO marginal stripe, 3... sometimes small, white centered ocelli postdiscal, 4... forewing ocellus with ONE white pupil, 5... fringes not checkered, 6... upperside orange-yellow with an ocellus (rather females) or without an ocellus (rather males), flies approx. Apr.-Oct. Austria-wide on meadows up to 2000m (6600ft). |
![]() Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) small, 1...forewing ocellus with TWO white pupils, 2... discal line wavy, 3... sometimes small, white pupilled ocelli postdiscal, 4... fringes lightly checkered, 5... upperside orange with a wide brown border, 6... Top of forewing ocellus with TWO white pupils, flies approx. Jun.-Sep. in western and southern Europe (and possibly not in Austria) near moist coniferous forests up to 1700m (5600ft). |
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![]() Speckled Wood (video) (Pararge aegeria) 1... mottled orange or brown with pointed wing edges, 2... a row of inconspicuous ocelli on the hindwing, 3... jagged transverse lines, 4... forewing with conspicuous tiger pattern, 5... fringes checkered, 6... upperside brown, on forewing orange-beige spots and one ocellus, and on hindwing a row of ocelli, flies approx. Mar.-Oct. Austria-wide at a semi-shady edge of a forest up to 1500m (4900ft). |
![]() Wall Brown (video) (Lasiommata megera) 1... mottled brown-grey with rounded wing edge, 2... ordered row of ocelli, 3... arcaded transverse lines, 4... forewing orange after narrow, brownish front stripe, 5... fringes checkered, 6... upperside forewing male discal orange with thick line, 7... upperside forewing female discal orange, 8... upperside hindwing discal an orange band, and a row of ocelli in another orange band, flies approx. Apr.-Oct. throughout Austria on stony meadows up to 2300m (7500ft). |
![]() Large Wall Brown (video) (Lasiommata maera) 1... mottled brown-grey with rounded wing edge, 2... ordered row of ocelli, 3... arcaded transverse lines, 4... forewing orange after broad, gray front stripe, 5... fringes checkered, 6... upperside forewing male discal brown, 7... upperside forewing female discal orange, 8... upperside hindwing WITHOUT discal line, a row orange ocelli, flies approx. May-Oct. throughout Austria on dry, stony edge of a forest up to 2000m (6600ft). |
![]() Northern Wall Brown (video) (Lasiommata petropolitana) 1... mottled dark-brown with rounded wing edge, 2... ordered row of ocelli, 3... arcaded transverse lines, 4... forewing orange after broad, brown front stripe, 5... fringes checkered, 6... upperside forewing discal brown (male and female), 7... upperside hindwing WITH discal line, a row orange ocelli, flies approx. May-Aug. throughout Austria on stony edge of forest 400-1200m (1300-3900ft). |
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![]() Dryad (video male, video female) (Minois dryas) 1... dark band submarginal, 2... forewings dark with two large ocelli ringed yellow and centered blue-white, 3... fringes checkered, 4... brown upperside, two large blue-white pupilled ocelli on the forewing, flies approx. Jul.-Sep. Austria-wide on bushy meadows at 100-1600m (500-5200ft). |
![]() Scotch Argus (video) (Erebia aethiops) 1... gray band sometimes with small, white-pupilled ocelli, 2... forewing brown, ocelli in orange band, 3... few chequered, gray fringes (more females), 4... brown upperside, white pupilled ocelli in orange band, flies approx. Jul.-Sep. throughout Austria on flowery pine forest clearings at 300-1500m (1000-4900ft). |
![]() Water Ringlet (video) (Erebia pronoe) 1... heavily mottled, dark discal band, 2...light band (slightly shimmering violet in males), 3... tip of forewing light mottled, 4... forewing orange-brown, ocelli in orange band, 5... fringes lightly chequered in wing color, 6.7*4... upperside brown, pattern variable, flies approx. Jul.-Sep. common in the Alps near springs at 900-2800m (3000-9200ft). |
![]() Large Ringlet (Erebia euryale) 1... light band (darker in males) 2... forewing brown, ocelli in orange band, 3... heavily black and white chequered fringes, 4... upperside brown, small ocelli almost WITHOUT white pupil, 5... upperside forewing ocelli in orange band and hindwing ocelli in single orange dots, flies approx. Jul.-Sep. widespread in the Alps in flowery coniferous forest clearings at 750-2500m (2500-8200ft). |
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![]() Arran Brown (video) (Erebia ligea) 1... characteristic white spots on brown wing, 2... single orange ringed ocelli, 3... forewing brown, ocelli in orange band, 4... heavily chequered fringes, 5... brown upperside, forewing ocelli with white pupil in an orange band, flies approx. Jul.-Sep. throughout Austria in forest clearings up to 1800m (5900ft). |
![]() Woodland Ringlet (video) (Erebia medusa) 1... brown, 2... some orange ringed ocelli, 3... forewing brown, roundish orange ocelli, 4... dark fringes, 5... upperside brown, white pupilled ocelli in single orange dots, flies early approx. May-Jul. Austria-wide near ferny forests 300-2300m (1000-7500ft). |
![]() Yellow Spotted Ringlet male (video) (Erebia manto) 1... few orange-yellow spots, 2... forewing brown with orange spots and few, very small, black ocelli WITHOUT white pupil, 3... dark fringes not chequered, 4... upperside forewing brown with orange spots and very small, black ocelli WITHOUT white pupil, 5... upperside hindwing brown and few orange spots, flies approx. Jul.-Aug. widespread in the Alps in high meadows at 1200-2500m (3900-8200ft). |
![]() Yellow Spotted Ringlet female(video) (Erebia manto) 1... yellow band, 2... Vorderflügel reddish with orange band and few, very small, black ocelli WITHOUT white pupil, 3... dark fringes not chequered, 4... upperside forewing brown with orange spots and very small, black ocelli WITHOUT white pupil, 5... upperside hindwing brown and few orange spots, flies approx. Jul.-Aug. widespread in the Alps in high meadows at 1200-2500m (3900-8200ft). |
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The free, partly interactive identification aids help you to assign a butterfly to the right species. All animals photographed and filmed by us were photographed alive in their natural freedom and left undamaged in nature. Unless otherwise stated, the illustrations are original photos and field videos by Dolores and Peter Baldia, 1160 Vienna, Austria, Europe. The determination was based on the field photos. It should be noted that by studying the external characteristics via photos of living butterflies, a scientifically unambiguous assignment is not always possible. The idea, texts, compilation and computer processing of this identification aid come from Dolores Baldia, 1160 Vienna, Austria, Europe, and is online since 2018. The identification aid for Satyrinae was created on March 17, 2022.
The Satyrinae are a subfamily of the Nymphalidae. They used to be considered a separate family called Satyridae. 2... Watercolor by Jacob Hübner, 1805. 3... Underside retouched and upperside watercolor of A. Spuler, 1910. 4... Upperside 7 is a symbol picture. |
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