Pearly heath
Its caterpillars overwinter half-grown among tussock grasses, resuming growth only in spring to pupate on a stalk before the single summer flight begins.
| Where | Woodland edges, scrub and clearings |
|---|---|
| Size | 32 to 42 mm wingspan |
| When | May to August |
The Pearly heath is a butterfly with a wingspan of 32 to 42 mm. The forewing is orange-brown with a dark border, while the hindwing is much darker brown, crossed by a broad, whitish band and several dark eyespots with white centres.
Caterpillars feed on grasses and overwinter half-grown before completing development and pupating on a stalk in spring. Adults fly in a single generation from May to August at the edges of woods, scrub and grassy clearings.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Orange, Brown, White
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; feeds only on flower nectar as an adult.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Similar size at 32 to 38 mm wingspan, but more uniformly orange-brown with several small, evenly sized eyespots on the underside rather than the broad whitish band of the Pearly heath.
Questions
Is the Pearly heath dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; feeds only on flower nectar as an adult.
When can you see the Pearly heath?
The Pearly heath can be seen from May to August, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Andro Truuverk, University of Tartu, Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
Report a mistake in this entry
Butterflies and moths›Brush-footed butterflies›Coenonympha
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.