Head to head
Marbled White vs Meadow Brown
Marbled White
VS Meadow Brown
The marbled white and meadow brown are close relatives among the browns, both with grass-feeding caterpillars, but one looks nothing like a typical brown.
| Marbled White | Meadow Brown | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Melanargia galathea | Maniola jurtina |
| Pattern | White wings marked with a bold black chequerboard pattern | Brown wings with a single black eyespot on each forewing |
| Group | A member of the browns, despite its white and black wings | A typical brown butterfly |
| Egg-laying | Females drop their eggs freely among the grass as they fly low over it | Not specifically documented |
| Habitat | Flower-rich chalk and limestone grassland, and other rough, ungrazed grassland | Grassland, meadows, and road verges |
| Caterpillar food | Grasses such as sheep's fescue | Fine grasses |
| Range | Southern and central Europe, North Africa, and western Asia | Europe, North Africa, and western Asia |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, though it declines when flower-rich grassland is lost | Least Concern, and one of the most numerous butterflies in many areas |
Marbled White vs Meadow Brown: common questions
Is the marbled white a true white butterfly?
No, it belongs to the browns, the same group as the meadow brown, despite its white and black pattern.
How does the marbled white lay eggs?
Females drop their eggs freely among the grass as they fly low over it.
Where do the marbled white and meadow brown live?
The marbled white lives in flower-rich grassland, especially chalk, across southern and central Europe, while the meadow brown lives in grassland across Europe, North Africa, and western Asia.