Dusky Meadow Brown
Hyponephele lycaon
Hyponephele lycaon, the dusky meadow brown, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. It is broadly distributed in the temperate zone of the Palearctic from Portugal in the west to the Russian Far East in the east.
Photo: iNaturalist: (c) Roberto Sindaco, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Roberto Sindaco
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Nymphalidae
Genus
Hyponephele
Dusky Meadow Brown belongs to the family Nymphalidae, order Lepidoptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
Hyponephele lycaon, the dusky meadow brown, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. It is broadly distributed in the temperate zone of the Palearctic from Portugal in the west to the Russian Far East in the east.
The Dusky Meadow Brown butterfly faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized grassland ecosystems. Agricultural intensification, urbanization, and changes in land management practices have fragmented and destroyed the species' remaining habitat patches. Climate change may further exacerbate these pressures by altering the composition and quality of grassland communities that support this butterfly's lifecycle.
Key Facts
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The Dusky Meadow Brown butterfly faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized grassland ecosystems. Agricultural intensification, urbanization, and changes in land management practices have fragmented and destroyed the species' remaining habitat patches. Climate change may further exacerbate these pressures by altering the composition and quality of grassland communities that support this butterfly's lifecycle.
Agricultural intensification
Habitat loss and fragmentation
Urbanization and development
Changes in grassland management
Climate change impacts
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (CR).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Dusky Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lycaon). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/dusky-meadow-brown