Four-dotted Footman

Wingspan 25–33 mm. Flies mainly by day from June to August in one generationgeneration A butterfly flies in 2 generations when the year’s first newly emerged adults (1st generation) bring a new “brood” (“children”) capable of flight into the world in the same year. With 3 generations there are “grandchildren” as well in the same year. The number of generations determines in how many months of the year we can see the butterfly.×. It is common and is seen in many kinds of open vegetation, e.g. meadows, heaths and bogs. It can often be seen on the dike, resting in the heather. It has 4 black spots, 3 of which are visible when it is at rest. The caterpillar feeds on mosses and lichens on and around the heather and overwinters as a pupa in a cocoon on the ground.