BRAINCAKEGrayling Butterflies
The grayling (Hipparchia semele) is a butterfly of heathland, sand dunes and coastal cliffs in Britain. It shows how anatomical and behavioural adaptations work together.
Camouflage
The underside of the grayling's wings is mottled grey-brown. When it lands on bare ground, rock or tree bark it rests with its wings closed, so this colouring camouflages it and it is very hard for birds to see.
The eyespot
The forewing has a dark eyespot. At rest, the grayling usually lowers its forewing so the eyespot is hidden behind the hindwing, keeping it camouflaged. If it is disturbed, it can raise the forewing to flash the eyespot, which may startle a predator or draw an attack away from its body.
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All 29 lessons in Natural Selection · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics