Spotted Fritillary

Fascinating facts about the Spotted Fritillary

• The spotted fritillary is a medium-sized butterfly whose wingspan reaches 35-50 mm. Its bright orange-brown upperside is crossed by rows of dark brown markings that vary in number and size. Females can appear duller, with a grey-green shade, while some individuals show a subtle blue gloss on the upperside.
• Adults take to the wing from March through October, with the exact timing shifting according to local climate. In warmer regions they may appear early in spring, while in cooler areas their flight is delayed until later in the season. The species can produce two or three generations within this period, allowing populations to expand quickly when conditions are favourable. It favours flowery, grassy meadows and roadside verges where nectar sources are abundant.
• The spotted fritillary typically manages two to three broods each year, with the final generation overwintering as a young caterpillar. The larvae feed on a range of host plants such as Linaria, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica, Centaurea jacea and Digitalis purpurea.
• The spotted fritillary's range is confined to the warmer parts of the Old World. It inhabits southern and central Europe as well as North Africa, the Middle East, central Asia and Siberia, thriving in sunny meadows and roadside verges. It does not reach the cooler northern Europe, being absent from England, Ireland, northern France, Germany, Poland and Scandinavia. This northern gap limits its distribution to milder climates.
• Male spotted fritillaries display a vivid fiery-red colour on the upperside of their wings. A narrow dentate black border frames the wing edge, and the basal half is sprinkled with a moderate number of small black dots and spots, culminating in a short transverse band that stretches from the costa beyond the cell into the disc.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Spotted Fritillary

As the sun casts its warm glow upon the lush meadows, the Spotted Fritillary awakens, its delicate wings unfolding like intricate works of art, adorned with spots of burnt orange and creamy white. With a gentle flutter, it takes to the air, dancing on the breeze as it navigates a world of vibrant wildflowers, its proboscis uncoiling to sip nectar from the sweetest blooms. In this fleeting, whimsical world, the Spotted Fritillary reigns, a master of elegance and subtlety, its very existence a testament to the beauty and wonder that still awaits us in the unspoiled corners of our planet.

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