Small heath
The small heath is a little sandy orange butterfly that flutters low over the grass. When it lands, it always keeps its wings shut tight. Under the front wing it has a tiny dark eyespot.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
It is the smallest butterfly in its whole group, the family of brown butterflies.
When it rests in the sun, it tips its closed wings sideways so the sunshine warms them.
The males show off together in one spot to impress passing females.
Its caterpillar is bright green with thin white stripes along its back.
It sometimes flies right into towns and hops along paved streets and gardens.
Most asked questions about Small heath
?What does a small heath eat?
The butterflies drink nectar from flowers, and the caterpillars eat grasses.
?Where can I see a small heath?
In sunny meadows, fields and grassy hills, from spring until autumn.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Coenonympha pamphilus
- Named by
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Group
- Butterflies
- Family
- Nymphalidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Nymphalidae
- Lives on
- Europe, Asia, Africa
Where the facts come from
- Small heath (butterfly) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Ivar Leidus. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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