In Germany, the map was only locally represented until the 1930s, from the middle of the century it was already widespread and in places frequently encountered.

A. levana was found on May 30, 1973, in southeastern Finland, in Lauritsala, by a young lepidopterist, Mr Jouko E. Hokka.

The underside of the forewing on the whole agrees with the upper, but the apical area bears violet dusting, the ground-colour is paler, and there are sharply defined white lines at the cell-spots; the hindwing is for the greater part red-brown, bearing in the centre a pale transverse band which widens behind, in places light lines traverse the wing and there is a dull violet smear in the distal area; the margin of both wings bears thin black lines.

Specimens in which the upperside is entirely without white bands, the small spots in the distal area being either present or absent, have been named ab.

On the other hand, the individuals with the bands partly yellowish and the reddish yellow distal markings strongly developed may be named ab.

(64d) which is already so much changed in the direction of the spring-brood that the reddish yellow colour in the distal area forms the ground-colour, the bands of prorsa, however, still being visible.

is an artificially produced variety which resembles porima, but the forewing has an archaic Nymphalidian character in the row of spots recalling the ocelli found in the Satyrids.

The species is distributed over Central and East Europe (except England) southward to Dalmatia, through Armenia, Siberia, Amurland, Ussuri, Corea to Japan (here apparently in 3 broods), the varieties recurring in the East without showing any striking or constant differences from those of the West.

The eggs are laid in long strings, one on top of the other, on the underside of stinging nettles, the larval food plant.

both the needs of the caterpillars for high humidity and shade as well as the moths for abundant flowering perennials must be met.

The insect lives in the flat and hilly country of the lowlands and rarely rises more than 1000 meters.