Nymphalis antiopa

BUTTERFLY INFO

Nymphalis antiopa is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae on the island of Crete, Greece.

Scientific name

Nymphalis antiopa (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common name

Camberwell Beauty

Classification

Family: Nymphalidae > Subfamily: Nymphalinae > Tribus: Nymphalini > Genus: Nymphalis

Wingspan

Male to female: 60-70 mm

Appearance

Both sexes have a similar appearance. The dorsal side of the wings is dark maroon colored with pale-yellow color in the submarginal area and there are bright, iridescent blue spots in the postdiscal area. The ventral side of the wings is very dark brown, almost black with similar pale-yellow edges.

It has a unique appearance in Crete and can’t be confused with other butterflies of the island.

Behavior

Adults hibernate from December to February. Usually, they keep the wings closed when sitting on the ground. The butterflies are difficult to be located and they often prefer rotting fruits and sweating face or hands.

Habitat

Nymphalis antiopa in Crete lives in forest edges, forest paths, glades, orchards.

Food plant

The larva feeds on Salicaceae plants.

Flight period*

The butterfly flies in one generation per year.

*based on a few observations on the island

Remarks

Nymphalis antiopa is a very rare sighting in Crete and hasn’t been spotted in over two decades (the last observation was on East Chania prefecture). Further investigation is required for its current existence in possible habitats on Crete.

Status*

Least Concern (LC)

(*Red List Greece, 2024)