(Esper, 1783)
Freyer's Fritillary
Description:
Freyer's Fritillary is found on flower-rich grassy vegetation and in woodland clearings on both calcareous and acid soil, and seems to prefer moist places.
The female lays her eggs in large batches on the leaves of knapweeds (Centaurea spp.). The caterpillars feed and also hibernate communally in a nest of spun silk. When almost fully grown, they separate and pupate close to the ground, on the stems of plants.
It has one brood a year.
Habitat:
Dry siliceous grasslands
Dry calcareous grasslands
Mesophile grasslands
Deciduous forests
Similar species:
Melitaea cinxia