This species’ name gives the observer a clue as to what it might look like. At first glance it can easily be mistaken for a Meadow Brown, but upon closer examination it is usually a bit smaller, with a greyer, more mottled and more uniform underside. This gives it excellent camouflage within its typically stony, dry environment. Generally speaking it is less common however and has more precise habitat requirements. I was somewhat fortunate to come across it unexpectedly in southern Spain, where it can be rather local.
Distribution: Patchily distributed in Europe. Most of Iberian peninsula (rare in western half), southern France, N Italy, S Switzerland into the Balkans and Greece. Present in much of eastern Europe as far north as S Finland but patchy and uncommon here. Also present in Sicily.
Flight Period: June-August in 1 brood, peaking in July.
Habitat: Dry grassy and stony areas, light dry woodland, rocky hillsides with oak and pine woodland.
Foodplants: Grasses, such as feathergrasses (Stipa), brome (Broma) and fescues (Festuca).
Nectar Sources: Eryngium, thistles (Cirsium), knapweeds (Centaurea) and mints (Mentha) among others.
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- Dusky Meadow Brown, Val di Cogne, Italy, July 2023
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- Dusky Meadow Brown, Sierra de Almijara, Spain, July 2020
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- Dusky Meadow Brown, Sierra de Almijara, Spain, July 2020
