The peacock butterfly in profile - all facts at a glance

Name and family

The peacock butterfly has the scientific name Aglais io. The butterfly comes from the noble butterfly family.

Different stages of development

The peacock butterfly goes through various stages of development. A caterpillar hatches from an egg, which pupates after a few weeks and turns into a butterfly. It hibernates over the winter and mates the following spring. This closes the cycle.

Appearance of the eggs

each butterfly lays 50 to 150 eggs
previously only in May or June, now a second time in September
Storage space is the underside of nettle leaves
each egg is about 1mm small and greenish in color
with eight white longitudinal ribs
after two weeks the caterpillars hatch

The caterpillars

are initially only 3 mm long
they are white-greenish, have a black head
feed on nettle leaves
live together
shed their skin after a few days
then turn gray-brown
further moults follow
after 3-4 weeks they are fully grown
are then up to 42 m long
have black bodies with white spots and black thorns
pupation follows soon

Adult butterfly

The butterfly hatches after about two weeks. He inflates his wings with air and blood so that they harden and he can fly. The wings have a distinctive pattern that makes the precious butterfly unmistakable.

have a rust-red hue
there is a colored eye on each wing tip
The undersides of the wings are gray with black marbling
Wingspan is 50 to 55 mm

Note:

If the wings are closed, the peacock butterfly can be mistaken for a dead leaf. Spreading the wings, on the other hand, can drive away possible predators, because the patterns are perceived as the eyes of a larger animal.

lifespan

The adult butterfly lives for a year, often two. The climatic conditions and how well the butterfly can overwinter are decisive for the lifespan. To do this, he visits caves or human habitation, among other things. The place must be frost-free but below 12 ° C. Then you lapse into paralysis.

habitat

The butterfly is native to Europe and Asia, with the exception of Greece, parts of the Iberian Island and areas not far from the North Pole, e.g. B. Northern Scandinavia. It lives up to an altitude of 2,500 m.

The peacock butterfly can be found in light, sunny forests or on colorful meadows. But it also finds suitable habitats in settlement areas. This butterfly can be seen in parks, cemeteries and in private gardens.

food

While the caterpillars feed exclusively on the nettle plant, adult butterflies can fly to various flowers and suck their nectar, although they seem to have a preference for purple flowers. Thistles, blue pillows, buddleia, dahlias, vetch or thyme are popular among others. In spring, the willow, also called pussy willow, is the first to attract.