Large heath

Description

Coenonympha tullia, the large heath or common ringlet, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.It flies in a variety of grassy habitats, including roadsides, woodland edges and clearings, prairies, bogs, and arctic and alpine taiga and tundra.It is a poor flyer, but can sometimes be found along ditches seeking new grounds. It is a holarctic species found in northern Europe and Asia and across North America. The species was first described by Otto Friedrich Müller in 1764 Coenonympha is a butterfly genus belonging to the Coenonymphina, a subtribe of the browns (Satyrinae). The latter are a subfamily of the brush-footed butterflies (Nymphalidae). As a rule, Palearctic species are colloquially called heaths, while Nearctic ones are called ringlets. Neither term is limited to members of this genus, however.