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Species Detail

European Peacock

Inachis io (Linnaeus, 1758)

JPG -- species photo

Attributes of Inachis io


Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

Subfamily: True Brushfoots (Nymphalinae)

Identification: Unmistakable. Chocolate brown above with blue peacock eye-spot on each wing. Below mottled brown-black like a tortoiseshell.

Life history: Males perch to await females. After mating, females lay batches of eggs on leaves or stems of stinging nettle (Urtica). Larvae feed in late spring and early summer. Adults emerge in summer and overwinter until the following spring.

Flight: July-May.

Wing span: 2 - 2 ½ inches (5.1-6.4 cm).

Caterpillar hosts: Stinging nettle.

Adult food: Sap flows, rotting fruits, dung, and flower nectar including butterflybush, yellow composites, bramble, and thistles.

Habitat: Various woodlands and gardens.

Range: Temperate Eurasia. Rare stray or transport to North America.

Conservation: Not needed for rare vagrant.

NatureServe Global Status: G5

Management needs: None needed.

Documented Records for Inachis io



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