Nymphalis polychloros (Linnaeus, 1758)


Nymphalis polychloros: Male on a grassy embankment in spring (S-Germany, Stuttgart, 28. February 2019)  [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Male on a grassy embankment in spring (S-Germany, Stuttgart, 28. February 2019) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Adult (SW-Bulgaria, Orelek, 27.07.2015) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Adult (SW-Bulgaria, Orelek, 27.07.2015) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Adult (SW-Bulgaria, Orelek, 27.07.2015) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Adult (e.l. rearing, N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, larvae in May 2014) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Adult (SW-Germany, Upper Rhine Valley, Dettenheim, 05. March 2014) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Adult (SW-Germany, Upper Rhine Valley, Dettenheim, 05. March 2014) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Adult (SW-Germany, Upper Rhine Valley, Dettenheim, 05. March 2014) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Adult (N-Germany, Wolfsburg, 19. March 2022) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Adult (S-Sweden, July 2020) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Adult [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Already quite worn individual (S-Germany, Heidenheim, 24. April 2013) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Female, at flower buds of Fraxinus (northern Baden-Württemberg, Schrozberg, early April 2010) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Already quite worn individual (S-Germany, Heidenheim, 24. April 2013) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Oviposition on Salix. The female is riding on the twig with wings bent downwards and lays its eggs (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, early May 2022) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Oviposition on Salix. The female is riding on the twig with wings bent downwards and lays its eggs (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, early May 2022) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Oviposition on Salix. The female is riding on the twig with wings bent downwards and lays its eggs (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, early May 2022) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Oviposition on Salix. The female is riding on the twig with wings bent downwards and lays its eggs (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, early May 2022) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Fresh batch of eggs (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, early May 2022) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Fresh batch of eggs (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, early May 2022) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Fresh batch of eggs (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, early May 2022) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Batch of eggs  after four days (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Batch of eggs  after four days (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Batch of eggs ready for hatching  after seven days (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Batch of eggs ready for hatching  after seven days (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Batch of eggs ready for hatching  after seven days (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Hatching larva 1/6 (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Hatching larva 2/6 (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Hatching larva 3/6 (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Hatching larva 4/6 (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Hatching larva 5/6 (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Hatching larva 6/6 (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Empty batch of eggs (N-Germany, Wolfsburg, 30. May 2020) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Already mostly hatched eggs on a thin Crataegus branch (France, Col de Vence, 1000m above sea level, late April 2012) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Already mostly hatched eggs on a thin Crataegus branch (France, Col de Vence, 1000m above sea level, late April 2012) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Empty batch of eggs (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L1 (e.o. Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L1 (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L1 (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L1 (e.o. Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L1 (e.o. Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L1 (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L1 (S-France, Alpes Maritimes, Col de Vence, 29. April 2012) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae in the first instar (Col de Vence, April 2012) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L1 (Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae moulting from L1 to L2 (N-Germany, Wolfsburg, 30. May 2020) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Young larvae (L2, Col de Vence, April 2012) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L2 (e.o. Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L2 (e.o. Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L2 (e.o. Spain, Sierra de Gredos, oviposition in early May 2022) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Aggregation of young larvae L3 on wild Pyrus (N-Greece, Kozani, early May 2008) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Young nest of larvae L3 (northern Greece, May 2008) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L3 (Croatia, Zadar, late April 2021) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L3 (Croatia, Zadar, late April 2021) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L3 (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L3 on Populus nigra (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L4 [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L4 (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L4 (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L4 (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L5 (NW-Italy, Susa, 24. May 2007) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L5 (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L5 (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L5 (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L5 (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L5 (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [M] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae L5 (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L5 (N-Greece, Kozani, May 2010) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Larvae at Salix caprea [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L5 (NW-Italy, Susa, May 2007) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L5 (NW-Italy, Susa, May 2007) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Larva L5 (e.l. N-Greece, Kozani, young larvae in early May 2008) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Pupa [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Pupa (e.l. N-Greece, Kozani, young larvae in early May 2008) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Pupa (e.l. N-Greece, Kozani, young larvae in early May 2008) [S] Nymphalis polychloros: Habitat in Southern France (Col de Vence). Here I observed young larvae on Crataegus and Pyrus already in late April 2012. [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Habitat in a light deciduous forest on the eastern Swabian Alb. Here the butterflies can be observed in March and April basking on the soil or on litter (April 2012)  [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Larval habitat (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Larval habitat (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Larval habitat (N-Greece, Pindos Mountains, May 2014) [N] Nymphalis polychloros: Habitat (SW-Germany, Upper Rhine Valley, Dettenheim, 05. March 2014) [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillars feed on some trees and bushes, especially from the families Salicaceae (Sallows like Salix caprea, poplars), Ulmaceae (elms like Ulmus glabra and also Celtis australis) and Rosaceae (Prunus, Crataegus). In the south, the caterpillars are very often found on hackberry (Celtis).

Habitat:
Nymphalis polychloros inhabits open forests, coppice forests, parklands, hedges and occurs especially in the warmer, lower regions. In the south the butterflies like to live in warm open oak forests with local hackberry and elms (as well as in gardens). Nymphalis polychloros is quite common for example in the Italian Susa Valley and the French Massif de la Sainte Baume near Marseille.
But north of the Alps, there are also regions such as the Steigerwald in northern Bavaria, where Nymphalis polychloros is still not so rare. Altogether, Nymphalis polychloros is more an inhabitant of warmer lowlands up to 700m above sea level in central Europe and only occasionally higher (especially in the south up to 1700m). Global warming favors Nymphalis polychloros north of the Alps. I already found larvae up to 900m there.

Life cycle:
Nymphalis polychloros occurs in a single generation, in the south occasionally in two. Hibernated butterflies are active between March and May (especially, but not only in the south occasionally already in February). The eggs are deposited mostly on thin branches. Caterpillars can be found especially in May and June. They live together in larger communities and can defoliate smaller bushes completely.
In summer/early autumn the adults are observed only occasionally because they seem to rest for longer periods and start hibernation also soonly.

Endangerment: endangered

Endangerment factors:
In the north Nymphalis polychloros is endangerd in most regions due to dark forest management and levelling of the landscape (large fields, no hedges etc.). In the years 2005-2007, however, a significant increase (longtime fluctuations of abundance) was observed for example on the eastern Swabian Alb (Germany). Nymphalis polychloros benefits from warm springs and global warming that allow a good oviposition rate and a fast caterpillar development.
South of the Alps Nymphalis polychloros is not endangered and still quite widespread in many regions (e.g. northern Greece, southern Alps, Provence).

Remarks:
The distribution extends from northern Africa across southern and central Europe and temperate Asia to the Himalayas.



Nymphalis antiopa | Nymphalis c-album | Nymphalis egea | Nymphalis ichnusa | Nymphalis io | Nymphalis urticae | Nymphalis xanthomelas