''Lasiommata petropolitana'', the northern wall brown, is a

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

species belonging to the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a red ...

. It can be found in large parts of Europe, from the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...

and

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

up to

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

and

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

, east to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

and

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...

. The males are 19–21 mm.

Description in Seitz

''P. hiera'' F. (45 d). Above very similar to the next species, '' maera'', but always black-brown, of the colour of the darkest ''maera'' form, the forewing less pointed, with straighter distal margin; on the underside of the forewing the russet-yellow distal band does not extend without interruption to the anal angle, but stops at the lower median vein or is there interrupted. The apical ocellus, moreover, has less often a double pupil, being mostly quite circular and not always accompanied by a small accessory eye-dot (towards the apex), as is nearly always the case in ''maera''. Besides, ''hiera'' is usually of lesser size than the smallest maera, and the black markings, which are very similar to those of maera, shine through on the completely darkened upperside. In the higher mountains of Southern Europe: the Black Forest, Alps, Carpathians, Apennines, and the Balcan; also in Asia Minor, the mountains of Central Asia, the Altai, and the Kentei Mts. Further, in the North and here often in the plains, as for instance in North Russia, Finland, Livonia and Amurland, but also in the mountains of the North, e.g., in Scandinavia. — The northern specimens are on the whole darker and more unicolorous, sometimes almost without markings; Neublieger named such specimens ''finmarchica''. — Larva uniformly green, the dark dorsal line being only distinct posteriorly; on ''Festuca''. The butterflies are on the wing in the plains in May and June, in the high mountains not until June and July, not rare in most places; it affects resting under overhanging rocks and settles on stones and walls; the flight is similar to that of ''megera'' and ''maera''.Seitz, A. in Seitz. A. ed. Band 1: Abt. 1, ''Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter'', 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren) The butterflies fly in one or two generations from April to September. The larvae feed on various grasses, mainly ''

Dactylis glomerata ''Dactylis Glomerata'' is the sixth studio album by Swedish doom metal band Candlemass, released in 1998. This was their first album released since their split in 1994. The album was originally destined to be the second release by Candlemass ...

'', ''

Festuca rubra ''Festuca rubra'' is a species of grass known by the common name red fescue or creeping red fescue. It is widespread across much of the Northern Hemisphere and can tolerate many habitats and climates. It is best adapted to well-drained soils in c ...

'' and ''

Festuca ovina ''Festuca ovina'', sheep's fescue or sheep fescue, is a species of grass. It is sometimes confused with hard fescue (''Festuca trachyphylla''). General description It is a perennial plant sometimes found in acidic ground, and in mountain pastur ...

''.

References

Lasiommata Butterflies of Europe {{Elymniini-stub