GRAYLING (BUTTERFLY)

The 'Grayling' ('''Hipparchia semele''') is a species in the brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae. It sometimes occurs in coastal areas of northeast Scotland such as the Fowlsheugh Nature Reserve.
They rest with closed wings, forewings lowered between the hindwings as do many Saturninae. When disturbed, they raise the forewing so that the large eyespots bnear its apex become visible. A predator attacking the butterfly could either be startled by the sudden appearance of the pattern, or be enticed into attacking the conspicuous spot rather than the butterfly's body.(Stevens 2005)

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References

★ (2005): The role of eyespots as anti-predator mechanisms, principally demonstrated in the Lepidoptera. ''Biol. Rev.'' '80'(4): 573–588. (HTML abstract)