Wingspan: 40–45 mm
Flight period: in two generations from May to June and from July to August
Larval host plants: stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), hops (Humulus lupulus), hazel (Corylus avellana), willow (Salix sp.), elm (Ulmus sp.), currants (Ribes sp.)
White C (Polygonum c-album or Polygonia c-album) is a medium-sized butterfly with a distinctive wing shape. Distinct wing-edge markings and a marbled pattern in brownish warning colors ensure that the White C at rest is easily mistaken for a dead leaf. When the butterfly sits with its wings closed, it shows a characteristic pattern in the shape of the letter C on the middle of the underside of the hindwings. Its upperside is more vibrant; the brick-orange background is interrupted by a pattern of brown to black irregular blotches and spots, along the entire outer edge of the wings runs a band of brown.
White C overwinters as an adult, so the first butterflies may appear as early as March. White C lives on forest clearings and at the edges of forests from lowlands to mid-mountains.
