(Geyer, 1832)
Provençal Fritillary
Description:
The Provençal Fritillary occurs in all sorts of flower-rich, grassy places; on flower-rich grasslands, both in damp and dry places, and on calcareous as well as acid soil, on flower-rich, grassy vegetation on the banks of rivers and streams, in scrub and at woodland edges. In Switzerland, at the extreme north of its distribution range, it is only found in dry, warm, bushy places. Its food plants are toadflax (Linaria spp.), snapdragons (Antirrhinum spp.), and sometimes also foxgloves (Digitalis spp.).
The female lays her eggs in small batches on the underside of the leaves. The caterpillars hibernate in a spun shelter.
In most locations, this species has two broods a year, however in the Alps, only one.
Habitat:
Alpine grasslands
Dry siliceous grasslands
Dry calcareous grasslands
Mesophile grasslands
Similar species:
Melitaea athalia