These butterflies get their name from the large and colourful eyespots on their wings, which resemble those on the tail of the peacock.

Statistics
Wingspan: about 60mm.

Physical description
The upper wing is mostly red with black markings and a large yellow and purple eye spot at the tip. Lower wings are red with a dark blue eye spot surrounded by a white ring. The butterfly.s body is dark reddish brown and usually covered in shiny hairs.

Caterpillars are black, spotted with white and have shiny black spines along their back and sides.

Distribution
Peacocks inhabit most of temperate Europe and Asia.

Habitat
They are found in orchards, gardens and other places where there are lots of flowers.

Diet
The caterpillars' foodplants are nettles and sometimes hops. Adults feed on nectar from flowers such as thistles and buddleia. During late summer they will also feed from over-ripe fallen fruit.

Behaviour
Adults hibernate through the winter in hollow trees, rock crevices, stone walls and even in houses. Caterpillars feed gregariously but disperse to pupate away from the foodplant.

Reproduction
This species only has a single generation each year with the mature individuals hibernating through the winter and emerging to lay eggs in spring.

Conservation status
Peacock butterflies are not listed as endangered on IUCN Red List 2000.