Coenonympha darwiniana Staudinger, 1871

Host plants:
The larvae feed on grasses such as Festuca species.

Habitat:
Coenonympha darwiniana colonizes alpine meadows, clearings in light larch forests and pastures from about 1000m above sea level. I found caterpillars for example in the Swiss Alps in northern Ticino (1900m asl) in sunny pastures and southern Simplon (1400m asl) in Festuca tufts on rocks.

Life cycle:
Coenonympha darwiniana flies in a single generation from June to August. The caterpillar overwinters.

Endangerment factors:
Coenonympha darwiniana is only slightly threatened, particularly at low altitudes by abandonment and following reforestation or locally through tourism.

Remarks:
Coenonympha darwiniana is very close to Coenonympha arcania and Coenonympha gardetta and builds up mixed populations in the contact zone to Coenonympha gardetta.

Coenonympha darwiniana is found only in parts of the Southern Alps and the southern central Alps as in Ticino, in neighbouring Italy or on the south side of the Simplon.