Balkan Grayling
Common NameBalkan Grayling
Scientific NameHipparchia senthes
FamilyNymphalidae
SubfamilySatyrinae
Wingspan (mm)50
Primary Colorsbrown, grey, orange, black
HabitatDry, rocky grasslands, open woodlands, scrubland
Geographic RangeBalkan Peninsula (Southeastern Europe), including Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro
Host Plantsvarious grasses (Poaceae)
Flight PeriodJuly to September
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Lifecycle NotesUndergoes complete metamorphosis. Larvae feed on grasses and typically overwinter before pupating and emerging as adults.
Identification TipsLook for the distinct orange-brown forewing patch with two black eyespots on the upperside, combined with the heavily mottled and cryptic grey-brown underside, which provides excellent camouflage against rocky terrain.
Description
A medium-sized butterfly with a cryptic grey-brown underside, often mottled, and an orange-brown patch on the forewing upperside featuring two prominent black eyespots.
