The butterfly is native to Europe,[1] from Scandinavia to Ukraine, and is found as far east as Mongolia, Korea and Japan.

fulvior Tutt (particularly females) the forewing bears an orange-yellow discal patch, the rest of the wing being dusted with golden brown.

A lutea specimen in which the underside is dull and has no black spots on the proximal side of the band on the hindwing has received the name ab.

paupera Tutt, and individuals with a broad white macular band on the underside parallel to the outer margin are ab.

Larva woodlouse-shaped, green, with a darker dorsal stripe, at the sides of which there are small brown warts or tubercles; from April till the end of May on Blackthorn and Plumtrees.

Pupa anteriorly somewhat angular, black-brown, with darker markings and a pale saddle-patch, the abdomen being tuberculate and strongly raised, the whole resembling a small bud or bird-droppings.

[3] It is rare in Great Britain and restricted to a number of sites in the south and east Midlands, between Oxford and Peterborough.

[4] Historically there have been around 90 known colonies since its discovery in 1828 but there have been many, mostly unsuccessful, introductions at various locations in southern England including one in Surrey in 1952 that seemed to be successful until the habitat was destroyed.

Pupation takes place on leaves or twigs in June and the pupae are patterned black and white to mimic a bird dropping, as a defence against being eaten.