Identification
It's dark brown wings are patterned with orange spots, with small white dots along the fringes. The females are harder to spot and spend most of their time resting or flying very low to the ground.
Caterpillars
They're big travellers too, and have been known to fly up to five kilometres looking for a suitable place to lay their eggs. The primroses and cowslips on the Commons are vital for the Duke of Burgundy's survival. They lay their eggs beneath the leaves. When the caterpillars hatch they spend the day at the base on the primrose or cowslip, waiting for night to fall before eating the leaves.
Sadly, once they emerge as a butterfly, they only live for five days.
Interesting fact
The famale butterfly has six fully functional legs, whereas the male only has four.
