The small heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae, classified within the subfamily Satyrinae (commonly known as "the browns").

[4] The larval host plants are grasses, found in various habitats, while adult butterflies feed on nectar from flowers.

(48 g), from Sicily-, Dalmatia and the southern portion of Anterior Asia, of which I also found typical specimens in the valleys of the Atlas, the hindwing on both sides bears a submarginal row of ocelli, which are sometimes pupilled.

The butterflies are the commonest Satyrids in the whole of Europe and are on the wing from the end of April until October, everywhere on meadows and fallow fields, cornfields and bare summits of hills.

They almost fly only when disturbed, and soon settle again, affecting roads and bare patches of ground, sometimes inclining their always closed wings to one side.

They even fly into the towns, wandering over gardens and yards, and one sometimes sees them hopping along on paved streets for traffic, and settling for a moment on the pavement.

Unlike the meadow brown and other common members of the subfamily Satyrinae, the small heath is a lateral basker, only ever resting with its wings closed and angled at 90° to the sun.

It is also found in an extensive range of environments including meadows, heaths, mountains (in the subalpine zone), and alongside railways.

[20][23] For mating and oviposition, small heath butterflies prefer territories that are close to vegetation over areas that are open and clear.

[22] The small heath also resides in biodiverse patches of green habitats (i.e. greenways, gardens, and parks) in urban areas.

These include the Anthoxanthum odoratum, Poa pratensis, Agrostis stolonifera, and Festuca rubra, which commonly appear on some calcareous grasslands.

[21][9] Adult small heath butterflies feed on floral nectar of a variety of flowers such as bramble, yarrow, and ragwort.

[21] Butterflies like the small heath typically undergo multiple stages of development called instars, through which the insect grows noticeably larger in size.

Larvae will sometimes undergo a fifth instar and enter diapause, which possibly signals an adapted response to environmental factors (primarily temperature).

In low-temperature conditions, it is advantageous for a male to remain stationary in order to defend his territory as a potential mating site.

[3][5][22] Male small heath butterflies find mates either by defending their ownership of a territory or by drifting in search for a female.

They choose to perform a long, elaborate zig-zag flight pattern to draw attention after they reach a group of perching males, who will take part in lekking as a show of dominance.

[3][22] Male small heaths aggregate and form leks often around bushes or trees, creating an elaborate visual display to attract a female's attention.

[28] Copulation between male and female small heath butterflies lasts between 10 minutes and 5 hours, occurring at any time in the day.

[22] During copulation, male small heath butterflies transfer a nuptial gift to a female in the form of a spermatophore, which contains both additional nutrients and sperm.

Males can use amino acids found in nectar from food resources to help produce these spermatophores, which are then passed to the female when reproducing.

When temperatures are significantly high, lifespan is shortened but the small heath will fare better than shade-dwelling species, such as the speckled wood, Pararge aegeria.

[30] Male butterflies will also tend to drift and be vagrant in their search for females rather than perch in their territories and wait, as they would do in optimum or sub-optimum temperatures.

The parasite eventually emerges from the host pupae as an adult by slicing out a cap at the terminal end of the chrysalis and breaking through.

However, a study shows that such disturbances of these habitats may actually lead to an increase in the population of grassland butterflies including the small heath.

[14] Urban habitats have become a significant focus in the conservation of the small heath due to the widespread green fragments forming chains of ecological biodiversity.

Additionally, it was found that food-plant preferences of larvae might also be affected, which could play a future evolutionary role, although this is an area that requires further research.

In response to these environmental changes (i.e. temperature), the small heath can overwinter in diapause, which promotes its survival through rapid development.

[32] The small heath, like its cousin the wall brown, has been in serious decline across much of southern England for reasons unclear, and was accordingly designated as a UK Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Species (research only) by DEFRA in 2007.

[3] These butterflies typically live in colonies, which have been negatively impacted by construction, human development, and general habitat loss in recent years.