The ringlet is a butterfly of meadows and woodland glades, relatively frequent across Europe. The male is very dark brown, almost black, whilst the female is more chocolate brown. Both have spots on both fore and hind wings, which give the butterfly its name (white center, black inner ring and outer yellow ring). The ringlet has a wingspan of 40 to 50 mm and flies between June and August.
The female does not lay the eggs on plants: she just flies over grasses and drops her eggs one by one. The caterpillar prefers grasses growing in the shade of bigger plants, especially when there are brambles. The larva is brown and has long hairs and is so well camouflaged that it is rarely ever found, despite the animal being very common.
Just like the other satyrs (the tribe to which the ringlet belongs) and the brush-footed butterflies (the butterfly family Nymphalidae) the front legs are not used for walking or resting. That’s why the ringlet seems to have just four legs.