Viewer's Choice: A Speckled wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria) sitting on a flower

A Speckled wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria) sitting on a flower

The Speckled wood belongs to the genus Pararge, which compromises 3 species : Pararge aegeria, Pararge xiphia, and Pararge xiphioides. The speckled wood occupies a diversity of grassy, flowery habitats in forest, meadow steppe, forest, woods, glades. It can also be found in urban areas alongside hedges, in wooded urban parks, and occasionally in gardens. Within its range the speckled wood typically prefers damp areas. It is generally found in woodland areas throughout much of the Palearctic ecozone. P. a. tircis is found in Northern and Central Europe, Asia Minor, Syria, Russia, and Central Asia, and the P. a. aegeria is found in southwestern Europe and North Africa. The growth and development of the speckled wood butterfly is dependent on the larval density and the sex of the individual. In the speckled wood butterfly females are monandrous; they typically only mate once within their lifetime. On the other hand, males are polygynous and typically mate multiple times.