Common ringlet
Its caterpillars can pause growth twice in one lifetime, going dormant as both very young and nearly grown larvae hidden in mats of dead grass.
| Where | Grasslands, meadows and open woodland edges |
|---|---|
| Size | 34 to 38 mm wingspan |
| When | April to September |
The Common ringlet is a small, plain butterfly with wings ranging from pale straw to deep orange ochre above, and faint eyespots that vary from a full row to none at all on the pale hindwing underside.
Caterpillars feed on native and introduced grasses and sedges, and males patrol low over grass tops with a bouncy flight to find mates through grasslands, meadows, and open woodland edges across North America.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Yellow, Brown
Active
Day
To people
Common and easily overlooked, and it poses no risk to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Told apart by a bold pair of black, blue pupiled eyespots on each forewing, far more conspicuous than the faint or absent eyespots on the Common ringlet's plain wings.
Questions
Is the Common ringlet dangerous to people?
Common and easily overlooked, and it poses no risk to people.
When can you see the Common ringlet?
The Common ringlet can be seen from April to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Swiss Natural History Collections - SwissNatColl, 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.