Skip to main content
Close

Map (butterfly)-First spring generation

Araschnia levana

Photo by The MnMs
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

50.8357, 4.64898

Field Notes

Description:

The Map is unusual in that its two annual broods that look very different: levana and prorsa, which represent the spring and summer broods, respectively.

Levana individuals are primarily orange in colour, giving them the appearance of a small fritillary, whereas prorsa individuals look more like a very small White Admiral.

The eggs are laid in long strings, one on top of the other, on the underside of stinging nettles, the larval foodplant. It is thought that these strings of eggs mimic the flowers of the nettles, thereby evading predators. The larvae feed gregariously and hibernate as pupae.

Habitat:

It is common throughout the lowlands of central and eastern Europe, and is expanding its range in western Europe.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (29)

Thanks, Pieter (and the others). I keep thinking that I have to talk to Natuurpunt to see if, for example, they would like to make more missions about Belgian wildlife in Project Noah.
Congrats Marta! Long live Belgian nature!!:)
Beautiful, congratulations!!
What a stunning butterfly Marta, congratulations on the SOTD!
Thank you for the SOTD (yesterday?). As always I find out a bit later :-)
Congratulations Marta :) Awesome spotting it is :)
A real beauty Marta. Congratlations on SOTD.
Congratulations, Marta. It is a great photo of a beautiful butterfly.
Congratulations Marta, this unusual butterfly has been chosen as spotting of the day! The beautiful map butterfly is unusual in that its two annual broods look very different; the spring generation shown here is predominately orange, whereas summer brood is brown and white, resembling a white admiral. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153005648620603&set=a.10152383557885603.943728.10150120463815603&type=1 https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/355522387011305472
Oh, I did not notice until you told me. Wow! this is very nice, thanks for your comment and information!
Impressive butty! The pattern around the body makes an elephant/tiger face, did you notice? This feature is termed as seasonal polymorphism, common with several butterflies including this favorite from Africa >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precis_octavia Additional info >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymorphism_in_Lepidoptera,
beautiful, Marta :)

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Image
Butterflies icon

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon