Habitat: Hedgerows, lanes, shrubby grassland, and woodland edges and ridges.
Distribution: Lowland areas of Wales, southern England and the south coastal areas of Ireland.
Description: EGG: Barrel-shaped; white becoming mottled then brown.
LARVA: Up to 23mm long, tapering towards rear; usually grey/ochreous with fine markings, a dark brown dorsal line, and a white band laterally, but greener forms also occur; two points at tail; head light brown.
PUPA: Squat and rounded; white with darker streaks and markings.
WINGSPAN: 30-38mm
Natural History: Colonies vary in size from a few tens of individuals to several thousands, depending on the availability of habitat. Eggs are laid singly, some attached to leaves, some to the bases of shrubs, and some merely ejected to land anywhere. The larva may take eight months to reach maturity, hibernating over winter and resuming feeding nocturnally in spring. The pupa is formed beneath a leaf-blade, usually in June, and hatches after three to four weeks. There is one generation per year.
