Meadow Brown – Maniola jurtina – Butterflies of Northumberland

Featured image: Meadow Brown ([1] @Neil Hulme)

Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Satyrinae
Genus: Maniola
Species: jurtina

Conservation Status: No concern

Appearance:

Wingspan: Male: 40 – 55mm Female: 42 – 60mm [1]
Sexual dimorphism: Yes. Male is smaller, much darker, less prominent eye spots and less orange [2]
Wing Shape: Forewing is smooth with a flat edge. Hind wing more rough and frizzy.
Dorsal Wing: Brown base colour with two black eyespots on the forewing. Orange wing centre, females bright orange, males less bright. Dark fringe.
Ventral Wing: Dull brown, half way up the wing turns to paler brown/white.
Body: Dark brown

Meadow Brown female ([1] @Pete Eeles)

Meadow Brown male ([1] @Pete Eeles)

Meadow Brown ventral wing ([1] @Adrian Riley)

Distribution:

The Meadow brown is one of Europe’s’ most widespread and common butterflies, absent from only the sub-arctic conditions of Scandinavia [2]. Within Britain, the Meadow Brown is distributed almost everywhere being one of Britain’s most widespread butterfly species [1,2,3]. Not only is the species widespread, it is also Britain’s most abundant butterfly [3].

The Meadow Brown is found wherever wild grasses grow [4]. Any unimproved grassland, heath or moor is suited to Meadow Browns [1,2,3]. Meadow Browns can also be found amongst sand dunes [4].

Life Cycle:

The Meadow Brown has one brood per year. Larval food plants include Bents (Agrostis spp.), Cock’s foot (Dactylis glomerata), Fescues (Festuca spp.) and Meadow grasses (Poa spp.) [1].

Butterfly: Emerges during June and peaks during the end of June. Will not be seen on the wing past August [1]

Egg: Laid during July either on the food plant or on nearby vegetation [1]. The eggs are originally light brown with dark brown blotches, eventually turning grey before hatching at 2-4 weeks depending on temperature [1,2].

Caterpillar: Hatch during late July and immediately eat their egg shell and then start to slowly feed upon grass leaves [1,2]. Mature caterpillars will feed nocturnally and spend the day hiding head down at the base of their food plants [1,2]. The caterpillars are very sensitive to vibrations and will fall to the ground if they are disturbed [1].

The caterpillars will hibernate over winter at the base of vegetation and reawaken in March [3]. They will continue to feed until they are fully grown and ready to pupate.

Pupa: The pupa will be suspended from low down in vegetation for 3-4 weeks [1]. The pupa will form in very late May-early June

Meadow Brown egg ([1] @Tony Moore)

Meadow Brown pupa ([1] @Pete Eeles)

Meadow Brown caterpillar ([1] @Pete Eeles)

Behaviour:

Male Meadow Browns are more active than the females, males will investigate any butterflies that pass by their perch [1]. Females will remain inactive unless they are feeding or laying eggs. Meadow Browns will rest with closed wings and their forewings tucked in to allow them to be more camouflaged [1]. When disturbed, they will reveal their forewings with eyespots to threaten potential predators [1].

Mating Meadow Browns will pair together in flight where they show a brief courtship ritual. The male will seduce the female by releasing sent scales from sex brands on the forewing[1].

Adult butterflies feed on a wide range of nectar sources including; Bramble, Buttercup, Thistle, Fleabane, Hemp, Knapweeds, Marjoram, Privet and Ragwort [1,2].

Meadow Brown In Northumberland:

Meadow Brown 2015.png — 2015 Meadow Brown sightings in the Northeast [7]

North East England Status: Very Common Resident [6]

The Meadow Brown is one of the most common butterflies found throughout the county of Northumberland [4]. The butterfly is frequently sighted as it will fly during dull weather conditions, abundant in its favoured habitats [4].

In 2015 there was 14,903 sightings of individual Meadow Brown butterflies in the Northeast [7]. The first sighting in Northumberland was in Druridge Bay on the 3rd of June with the last seen on the 2nd of October [7]. 2015’s numbers were slightly up on 2014’s 13,459 sightings [7].

References:

[1] UK Butterflies (2017) Meadow Brown Accessed http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=jurtina 18 February 2017

[2] Learn About Butterflies (2017) Maniola jurtina http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Britain%20-%20Maniola%20jurtina.htm Accessed 18 February 2017

[3] Hammersley D (2003) A butterfly notebook. The book guild ltd. East Sussex

[4] Cook NJ (1990) An atlas of the butterflies of Northumberland and Durham. Northumberland biological records centre, the Hancock museum. Newcastle Upon Tyne

[5] Butterfly Conservation (2017) Meadow Brown http://butterfly-conservation.org/679-861/meadow-brown.html Accessed 25 February 2017

[6] North East Butterflies (2017) Butterfly Species Accessed 18 February 2017

[7] Fleming S, Waller I, Perkins M, Norman R, Dover, Donnelly A (2015) Butterfly summary 2015. Northeast England branch. Butterfly Conservation. http://www.northeast-butterflies.org.uk/download_files/2015ButterflyReport.pdf Accessed 25 February 2017