Grayling
This butterfly seems to vanish the instant it lands, closing its wings and tilting them toward the sun so its eyespots disappear against bare ground.
| Where | Coastal cliffs, heathland and dunes |
|---|---|
| Size | 51 to 62 mm wingspan |
| When | June to September |
The Grayling is a large brown butterfly with cryptic grey brown underwings that make it nearly invisible against bare soil, rock or short turf when at rest.
Adults spend much of their time basking on the ground with wings closed and angled toward the sun, hiding their eyespots, and fly low and fast when disturbed before dropping suddenly out of sight.
Traits
Habitat
Heath
Colour
Brown, Grey
Active
Day
To people
Rests on bare ground and rock; harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
A larger relative reaching about 66 to 76 mm wingspan, with a more contrasted pale band across the forewing compared to the plainer, smaller Grayling.
Questions
Is the Grayling dangerous to people?
Rests on bare ground and rock; harmless to people.
When can you see the Grayling?
The Grayling can be seen from June to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Didier Descouens, CC BY‑SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
The plate on this page is shared under the same licence as its source, CC BY-SA.
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Butterflies and moths›Brush-footed butterflies›Hipparchia
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.