Bug FAQGreat Banded Grayling
Brintesia circe · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
It lives in light woodlands, grasslands at forest edges and dry bushy areas from sea level up to 1,600 m across southern Europe to the Levant. Caterpillars feed on grasses such as Anthoxanthum, Bromus, Festuca and Sesleria, while adults drink flower nectar from June to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 65 to 80 mm (about 2.6 to 3.1 in).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on various herbaceous grasses, especially Anthoxanthum, Bromus, Festuca and Sesleria species. Adults fly from June to September and feed on flower nectar.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Young larvae overwinter before developing into adults. The species has one generation that flies from June to September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from July to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Found throughout southern Europe, north to central Germany and east from Portugal to Lebanon and Mesopotamia.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see Great Banded Graylings?
Adults are active from July through September.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on grasses such as Anthoxanthum, Bromus, Festuca and Sesleria.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations do they have each year?
There is one generation per year, flying from June to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brintesia
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.