Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)

The Speckled Wood is one of our most widespread diurnal butterflies, which hill-dwellers most frequently encounter precisely on forest paths. It is recognized by its dark brown wings sprinkled with pale yellow or orange spots. Its characteristic features are black eyespots with a white dot in the center, located on the wing margins. The wingspan measures from 32 to 45 millimeters. The underside of the wings has protective coloration in shades of brown and gray, allowing it to become almost invisible to predators when resting on a trunk or dry leaves.
As the name indicates, this species is closely linked to the forest. It is most often observed where sun rays penetrate through the tree canopies to the ground; these are the so-called sun patches. It is encountered throughout Slovenia, from the coastal region to the upper forest boundary in the highlands.
It is one of the first butterflies seen flying in spring days and one of the last accompanying us into autumn. It can be observed in two or three generations, from late March until late October.
Males are identified by occupying their sunny patch on the ground or trunk and fiercely chasing away all other males entering their territory from there. Adult butterflies are not only found on flower nectar but are often caught drinking sap flowing from damaged trees or imbibing moisture and minerals from damp soil along forest brooks. It is also noteworthy that the Speckled Wood can overwinter either as a pupa or as a caterpillar, which is quite rare among butterflies.