(Lang, 1789)
False Heath Fritillary
Description:
The False Heath Fritillary is found in sheltered, marshy habitats and damp woodland clearings. At higher altitudes, it is also found on rough, calcareous grasslands. Different sorts of valerian (Valeriana spp.) are used as food plants, the female depositing her eggs in large clusters on the underside of the leaves.
The small caterpillars only feed for a short time before hibernating communally in a silken shelter. After hibernation, they separate, later pupating low down on the food plant.
The False Heath Fritillary usually has one brood a year, but at low altitudes in the Alps and in Spain, it sometimes has two.
Habitat:
Mesophile grasslands
Humid grasslands
Similar species:
Melitaea athalia
Melitaea britomartis
Melitaea aurelia