Meadow brown
Maniola jurtina
Butterfly
The meadow brown (Maniola jurtina) is one of the most abundant grassland butterflies in Europe, ranging from Europe south of 62°N through North Africa, Asia Minor, Iraq, and east to Iran. Males are dusky brown with a small apical eyespot on the forewing; females are more colourful, with an extended tawny orange patch surrounding a larger eyespot. Adults nectar on knapweeds (Centaurea), thistles (Cirsium), scabious (Scabiosa, Succisa), and brambles (Rubus), while larvae feed nocturnally on a range of fine-leaved grasses including fescues (Festuca), meadow-grasses (Poa), and cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata). Gardens and churchyards with rough, uncut grass and open wildflower areas support both life stages.
Plan for this species
Location-fit plant set for Chicago, IL: host and specialist plants first, then nectar, fruit, seed, foliage, and shelter plants that still fit the current and mid-century climate read.
2 essential relationships / 2 supporting plants
Host/specialist links: 2
Forage/pollination links: 2
Shelter links: 0
Relationship roles: 2
Sheep fescue
Essential / Larval host plants
Named alongside the gatekeeper on Wikipedia's account of this species, and one of the most abundant grassland butterflies in Europe. Meadow brown larvae feed nocturnally on fine-leaved grasses and sheep fescue is squarely in that class. This is the relationship that makes the case for an unmown sheep fescue area rather than a mown one: the butterfly needs the grass to be rough and standing, not clipped.
Red fescue
Essential / Larval host plants
Maniola jurtina is among the most abundant grassland butterflies in Europe and its larvae feed nocturnally on fine-leaved grasses including fescues, meadow-grasses and cocksfoot. Plausible on the same genus-level footing as the marbled white. Red fescue is native across essentially the whole European range of this butterfly, so the geographic overlap is complete; what is missing is a species-level feeding record in the sources cited here.
Cornflower
Supporting / Nectar plants
Wikipedia lists Centaurea (knapweeds) among the meadow brown's documented adult nectar genera; cornflower is a same-genus catalog species.
Field scabious
Supporting / Nectar plants
Field scabious shares the meadow brown's grassland habitat; a plausible nectar visit (the article names the related Scabiosa and Succisa, not Knautia).
Plants in the catalog
Larval host plants · 2
Maniola jurtina is among the most abundant grassland butterflies in Europe and its larvae feed nocturnally on fine-leaved grasses including fescues, meadow-grasses and cocksfoot. Plausible on the same genus-level footing as the marbled white. Red fescue is native across essentially the whole European range of this butterfly, so the geographic overlap is complete; what is missing is a species-level feeding record in the sources cited here.
Named alongside the gatekeeper on Wikipedia's account of this species, and one of the most abundant grassland butterflies in Europe. Meadow brown larvae feed nocturnally on fine-leaved grasses and sheep fescue is squarely in that class. This is the relationship that makes the case for an unmown sheep fescue area rather than a mown one: the butterfly needs the grass to be rough and standing, not clipped.
Nectar plants · 2
Wikipedia lists Centaurea (knapweeds) among the meadow brown's documented adult nectar genera; cornflower is a same-genus catalog species.
Field scabious shares the meadow brown's grassland habitat; a plausible nectar visit (the article names the related Scabiosa and Succisa, not Knautia).
Range
Palearctic: Europe south of approximately 62°N, Russia east to the Urals, Asia Minor, Iraq, Iran, North Africa, and the Canary Islands. Common and widespread throughout temperate Europe.
Sources & citations
Cite this page
Use this citation for the Plotwright wildlife record. Use the source cards below to explore the references that informed its taxonomy, range, conservation, host plants, foraging, and habitat.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina). Retrieved 2026, August 20, from https://plotwright.com/wildlife/meadow-brown
Sources used for this record
This record is compiled from the sources below.
Meadow brown - Wikipedia
Identification, the Palaearctic range, the grass larval hosts, and adult nectaring on knapweeds, thistles, and scabious.
Meadow brown - UK Butterflies
UK Butterflies species account for the meadow brown, covering its widespread grassland distribution, long single-brood summer flight, grass larval foodplants, and adult nectaring.
Maniola jurtina - GBIF
GBIF backbone taxonomy record for Maniola jurtina, confirming the accepted species and its Palearctic occurrence range.
Maniola jurtina - iNaturalist
iNaturalist taxon page for Maniola jurtina, corroborating the accepted name and observation-based distribution.