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The sister species Leptidea reali and L. sinapis have partitioned their niches differently in different parts of their sympatric distribution. In Spain and France L. sinapis is a widespread generalist whereas L. reali is specialized on high altitude open areas. Interestingly, the reverse is true in Ireland and the Czech Republic where L. reali is widespread and L. sinapis specialized on meadows. In Sweden, L. reali is a habitat specialist confined to meadows, whereas L. sinapis is a habitat generalist also inhabiting forests. Ultimately, the geographic mosaic of niche separation is the result of local processes in each contact zone or a secondary effect of the host plant distribution, if L. sinapis and L. reali prefer different legume host plants. Hence, in Sweden L. sinapis might utilize the forest habitat either due to a wider habitat preference or due to a wider host plant preference than L. reali. Studies of wild butterflies showed that L …