B57I9903-Gatekeeper,-Pyronia-tithonus

            Gatekeeper, Pyronia tithonus, (female).

Wing Span;   ♂ 37 - 43 mm, ♀ 42 - 48 mm.

Habitat; Found where tall grasses grow close to hedges, trees or scrub. Typical habitats are along hedgerows and in woodland rides. The butterfly can also occur in habitats such as under cliffs, heathland and downland where there are patches of scrub. 

Flight period; June – September.

Distribution Trend Since 1970s in Britain;  +15%. 

As its English names suggest, the Gatekeeper, also known as the Hedge Brown, is often encountered where clumps of flowers grow in gateways and along hedgerows and field edges. It is often seen together with the Meadow Brown and Ringlet, from which it is easily distinguished when basking or nectaring with open wings. From the underside of the wing they can be identified by the black spot near the wing tip, usually containing two tiny white dots. This butterfly spends much of its time basking with wings open, when the sexes are easy to tell apart. Male gatekeepers have a prominent band of dark scales running diagonally across the forewings, they are also noticeably smaller than the females. 
The colour and patterning of the wings are very variable and about a dozen aberrations have been named. Favourite nectar sources include Wild Marjoram, Common Fleabane, Ragworts, Wood Sage, Bramble and other flowering plants. 
It is widespread in southern Britain and its range has extended northwards in recent years but is absent from Scotland, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland and its range is far more localized in southern Ireland.
The males keep small territories, sometimes a single shrub, and will fly up to meet likely mates fluttering by. There is one generation of new gatekeepers per year. Adults emerge in mid-summer, mate, and then females produce around 100 eggs which they lay individually in shady spots.

Each egg takes two to three weeks to develop before the young caterpillar emerges. The larva feed at night on the tender young leaves of grasses before developing into pupa, with adults emerging in late Summer. 

The caterpillars, which can be either light brown or green, hibernate in September when they are still quite small. They become active again from March and become fully grown by late May or early June. At this point, they pupate to become adults.

Taken on: July 31, 2022

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Gatekeeper

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