Speckled wood: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the speckled wood lives – recorded in 23 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Pararge aegeria
Group	Butterflies & moths
Found in	23 countries
Continents	Europe
Class	Insect
Order	Lepidoptera
Family	Nymphalidae

Where does the speckled wood live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the speckled wood in 23 countries and territories across Europe. In Portugal it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the speckled wood?

The speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) is an insect in the order Lepidoptera and the family Nymphalidae, genus Pararge. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the speckled wood

The speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) is a butterfly found in and on the borders of woodland areas throughout much of the Palearctic realm. The species is subdivided into multiple subspecies, including Pararge aegeria aegeria, Pararge aegeria tircis, Pararge aegeria oblita, and Pararge aegeria insula. The color of this butterfly varies between subspecies. The existence of these subspecies is due to variation in morphology down a gradient corresponding to a geographic cline. The background of the wings ranges from brown to orange, and the spots are either pale yellow, white, cream, or a tawny orange. The speckled wood feeds on a variety of grass species. The males of this species exhibit two types of mate locating behaviors: territorial defense and patrolling. The proportion of males exhibiting these two strategies changes based on ecological conditions. The monandrous female must choose which type of male can help her reproduce successfully. Her decision is heavily influenced by environmental conditions.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Speckled wood (butterfly) (revision 1343430558), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q663181 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).