The Living Forest (17) : Map butterfly.

The Living Forest (17) : Map butterfly.

Last weeks I was exploring several forests in the Belgian Ardennes.
This is the 17th. picture of a series illustrating the living forest.

Insects play a very important role in the living forest (pollinate process, natural housekeeping, food for songbirds,…)
Most of them can be found in sunny open spaces, like this Map butterfly.

An unusual species this one.
It is the only (!) butterfly in Europe with strongly marked seasonal differences.
Its two annual broods look very different. The summer brood (photo) is black with white markings and lacking most of the intense orange of the spring brood.

Dutch name : Landkaartje
German name : Landkärtchen
Latin name : Araschnia levana