Hipparchia aristaeus, the southern grayling, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It was described by Franco Andrea Bonelli in 1826. It is found in North Africa, southern Europe (Greece, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica) and Asia Minor."Hipparchia Fabricius, 1807" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms The habitat consists of hot dry rocky areas.
The wingspan is 50–60 mm. According to Seitz aristaeus Bon. (42 f), from Sardinia and Corsica, has a heavy red- brown tint in the pale bands, which colour in the female extends far into the disc of the forewing.Seitz, A. in Seitz. A. ed. Band 1: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter, 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren) Adults are on wing from May to August.
The larvae feed on grasses of the family Gramineae.
Subspecies Hipparchia aristaeus aristaeus Hipparchia aristaeus algirica (Oberthür, 1876) (North Africa)
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