Araschnia levana prefers open deciduous woodland, parks, hedgerows and tree-lined riverbanks, but can also be found in scrubby wasteland and fallow farmland where Stinging Nettles is growing.
   It is not found in Britain and Ireland. Its native range covers much of mainland Europe as far north as southern Finland and southwards down to the Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean. To the east, Map butterflies are also found across much of Central Asia and in parts of the Far East, including Korea and Japan.
   This beautiful butterfly gets its common name from the intricate geographical map patterning on the ventral sides of its wings. It is a species that displays striking seasonal dimorphism, with the first (spring) brood very different in appearance from the second (summer) brood.
   Throughout most of the it's geographical range the first brood emerges from over wintered pupae in spring, and a second brood occurs in high summer.
   *In the northern most part of its range, the Map has just one brood, while in some southern locations a third brood may occur.