(Linnaeus, 1758)
Queen of Spain Fritillary
Description:
The large, silver-white mirrors on the underside of the hindwings, distinguish the Queen of Spain Fritillary from other fritillaries. The butterflies of the first brood that emerge at the end of the spring are quite small, but those of summer broods are often bigger. They can be found on a wide range of dry, flower-rich grasslands.
The female deposits her eggs singly on the underside of the leaves of violets (Viola spp.) on which the caterpillars later feed. On this nutritious diet the caterpillars grow very quickly, pupating low down in the vegetation. The Queen of Spain Fritillary has two to four generations a year, depending on the altitude and geographical position of the habitat. Hibernation takes place in the larval stage in temperate areas, but probably it can overwinter in other stages as well.
Habitat:
Fallow land and waste places
Dry siliceous grasslands
Dry calcareous grasslands
Coastal sand-dunes
Mesophile grasslands
Similar species:
Unmistakable