Staudinger, 1871
Darwin's Heath
Description:
Darwin's Heath is a butterfly of flower-rich sub-alpine and alpine grasslands. The caterpillars feed on different sorts of grasses. After hibernating, they pupate, suspended from a stalk of the food plant. This species occurs in the same sort of habitat as the Alpine Heath (C. gardetta), that it strongly resembles. In regions where both occur, the Alpine Heath is mostly found much higher in the mountains. However, mixed populations are found where the altitudinal ranges meet.
Habitat:
Alpine grasslands
Similar species:
Coenonympha gardetta
Coenonympha arcania