Map (butterfly)

The map (Araschnia levana) is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from Spain through Europe and east through the Palearctic to Central Asia and the Russian Far East to Korea and Japan.

The map exhibits seasonal dimorphism which means it has two different forms, depending on whether its larva grows in the summer or the winter. The summer form has black wings, while the winter form – adapted for diapause – has red wings. Before the butterfly was fully understood, these were thought to be two different species, with the summer form originally classified as A. prorsa. These are now referred to as morphs of A. levana, named levana and prorsa.