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Gatekeeper

The gatekeeper is on the wing in summer on grasslands, in woodlands and along hedgerows. Look out for the large, distinctive eyespot with two 'pupils' on each forewing.

Scientific name

Pyronia tithonus

When to see

July to August

Species information

Category

Statistics

Wingspan: 3.7-4.8cm

Conservation status

Common.

About

The gatekeeper, also known as the 'Hedge brown', is a medium-sized, brown butterfly that is on the wing in July and August. It is a butterfly of grassland, hedgerows and woodland edges and can be seen feeding on wild marjoram, bramble and ragworts. It avoids areas of short, open grassland. The foodplants of the caterpillars are a variety of grasses such as fescues and bents.

How to identify

The gatekeeper is brown above, with large orange patches in the middle of the wings. The best way to identify the 'brown' butterflies is by looking at the eyespots on their wings. The combination of bright orange wing patches, one large eyespot on the forewing and one smaller eyespot on the hindwing, is unique to the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper also has two small white 'pupils' in the eyespots, instead of one like the meadow brown.

Distribution

Found across England and Wales.

Did you know?

The colour and patterns of the wings of the gatekeeper are variable and about a dozen aberrations (a variation in wing pattern to the normal form) have been named. Aberrations can occur for a number of reasons, including extremes in temperature, particularly while the butterfly is developing in its chrysalis.