The Amaryllis butterfly (Pyronia tithonus) is a small satyrine butterfly with a wingspan of around 3.5 to 4.5 cm, recognisable by the orange-brown colour of its dark brown-edged forewings. The black eye-spot at the tip of the forewing has two distinct white spots, an important feature in distinguishing it from the Myrtil (Maniola jurtina), which has only one. The hindwings, which are dark brown in the female and lighter in the male, have a very cryptic grey-brown underside, making it easier to camouflage the bird when it is sitting with its wings closed.
The Amaryllis flies from July to September, frequenting flowering meadows, margins, wasteland and gardens. It is a territorial butterfly, often seen resting on grasses or nectar-producing flowers such as thistles and knapweeds. The caterpillars feed on various grasses (particularly Poa and Brachypodium). Its rapid, nervous, butterfly-like flight and the two white-spotted eye-spots are the main keys to recognising it in the field.
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