Occurs in woodland, gardens and hedgerows. Butterflies often perch in sunny spots, spiralling into the air to chase each other.
The aptly named Speckled Wood flies in partially shaded woodland with dappled sunlight. The male usually perches in a small pool of sunlight, from where it rises rapidly to intercept any intruder. Both sexes feed on honeydew in the treetops and are rarely seen feeding on flowers, except early and late in the year when aphid activity is low.
The range of this butterfly contracted during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries but has spread back since the 1920s. It has continued to spread over the past two decades, recolonizing many areas in eastern and northern England and Scotland.
Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) Understated yet headstrong, the speckled wood spends its time basking in sun-dappled woodland and fiercely patrolling its patch. The pupa is well disguised as a leaf. The speckled wood usually feeds on aphid honeydew, but can feed on fruit.
In Europe there are two main subspecies of Speckled Wood. In the UK we get the paler tircis which is largely found NE of a line from southern England down to the Aegean. SW of this line is the orangey aegeria, with intermediate forms along the transition line including a subspecies endemic to the Isles of Scilly called insula. In warmer years we get more orangey individuals in the UK, so its likely temperature plays a role in this distribution. There is a fourth subspecies found in western Scotland, P. a. oblita.
