title: Pyronia cecilia
text: # Pyronia cecilia
  
  Pyronia cecilia, the southern gatekeeper, is a butterfly of Southern Europe and North Africa. It is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae in the family Nymphalidae.
  
  ## Description
  
  It is similar in appearance to the gatekeeper (P. tithonus), which is found further north, and the Spanish gatekeeper (P. bathsheba). The gatekeeper has spots on the underside of the hindwing which the southern gatekeeper lacks. The Spanish gatekeeper has quite a different underwing pattern with a prominent while band.
  
  | Southern gatekeeper showing lack of spots on underside of hindwing | Gatekeeper showing small white spots on the underwing |
  | - | - |
  
  ### Sexual dimorphism
  
  The southern gatekeeper, like many in subspecies Satyrinae, exhibits sexual dimorphism. The male is smaller than the female, the front wing of the male is 15 to 16 mm whereas a female front wing is 20 mm, and has a patch of scent-producing scales known as the androconia, which can be seen as a dark patch on the upperside of the forewing.
  
  * Female
  * Female underside
  * Male
  * Male underside
  
  ## Distribution and habitat
  
  The southern gatekeeper likes hot localities and is found in northern Africa and southern Europe; in Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Portugal, Spain including Mallorca and Menorca, south-eastern France, Corsica, Sardinia, Elba, Italy, Sicily, Croatia, Albania, Greece and Turkey. It is usually found in rough, open areas in lowland regions although in some areas it occurs up to 2000 m.
  
  ## Food plants
  
  Food plants are grasses including Deschampsia cespitosa
  
  