(Hoffmannsegg, 1804)
Mountain Fritillary
Description:
In Scandinavia, the Mountain Fritillary occurs in the mountains on wide, open, dry areas near the tree-line, and on grassy, flower-rich slopes. At lower altitudes, it is also found in wet areas where birches (Betula spp.) and willows (Salix spp.) are growing. In the Alps, this fritillary can be found on dry, quite flat alpine and sub-alpine grassland on stony soil. As the evening falls, the butterflies roost communally, usually on rough vegetation in a wet place.
The female lays her eggs singly on various violets, including Yellow Wood Violet (Viola biflora), and also on Alpine Bistort (Polygonum viviparum), or on plants growing in the vincinity.
The caterpillars take one or two years to develop, depending on the climate.
Habitat:
Alpine grasslands
Heath and shrub
Sclerophyllous scrub
Blanket bogs
Similar species:
Boloria pales
Boloria aquilonaris
Boloria graeca