Meadow brown Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Meadow brown

Female

Mounted on a card
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Maniola
Binomial name
*Maniola jurtina* (Linnaeus, 1758)

The meadow brown (scientific name: Maniola jurtina) is a common butterfly. You can find it in meadows across Europe. Its young, called larvae or caterpillars, love to eat different kinds of grasses.

Male Meadow Brown butterfly

Female Meadow Brown butterfly

Appearance and Differences
- Male vs. Female Butterflies
- Why Eyespots Are Important
Food Plants
Life Cycle
Images for kids
See also

Appearance and Differences

Meadow brown butterflies show some cool differences between males and females. This is called sexual dimorphism.

Male vs. Female Butterflies

Male meadow browns are usually less colorful. They have smaller eyespots and less orange on their top front wings. Males are also very active and fly around a lot.

Female meadow browns tend to fly less. They often stay close to the area where they grew up.

Why Eyespots Are Important

The spots that look like eyes on the butterfly's wings are very important. These "eyespots" help protect the butterfly from predators. When a bird or other animal tries to attack, the eyespots trick them. The predator might aim for the spot instead of the butterfly's body. This helps the butterfly escape with only a small injury to its wing.

Food Plants

Meadow brown caterpillars enjoy eating several types of grass. These are their main food sources:

Sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina)
Rough meadow grass (Poa trivialis)
Smooth meadow grass (Poa pratensis)

Male (top view)
Male (underside)
Female (top view)
Female (underside)

Life Cycle

The meadow brown butterfly goes through several stages in its life.

Eggs

The female butterfly lays her eggs on a blade of grass. The egg stands upright and has small ridges. The top is flat with a ring. When first laid, the egg is whitish-green. As it gets older, it turns brownish-yellow and might have purplish-brown marks.

Caterpillar (Larva)

First stage caterpillar

The caterpillar is bright green. It has short, whitish hairs all over its body. A darker line runs down its back. There's also a white stripe on each side, above its reddish breathing holes (spiracles). The two points at the end of its body are white. Its head is a slightly darker green and also hairy.

Pupa (Chrysalis)

Pupa

When the caterpillar is ready, it turns into a pupa, also called a chrysalis. The chrysalis is pale green. It has brownish marks on the parts that will become the butterfly's wings. The top part (thorax) has blackish spots. The points on its body are brownish. The chrysalis hangs upside down, often with the old caterpillar skin still attached.