(Denis and Schiffermüller, 1775)
Lesser Spotted Fritillary
Description:
The Lesser Spotted Fritillary occurs on flower-rich, grassy vegetation, in both dry and damp places, and on waste ground. Various mulleins (Verbascum spp.) are used as food plants, including Aaron's Rod (Verbascum thapsus), V. densiflorum and V. longifolium.
The eggs are laid in batches on the underside of the leaves. The young caterpillars feed, gregariously in a communal web, where they also hibernate. After hibernation, they form smaller groups, and are often seen on the upper surface of the leaves.
This species has one or two broods a year, depending on the climatic zone of its flight area.
Habitat:
Dry siliceous grasslands
Dry calcareous grasslands
Mesophile grasslands
Humid grasslands
Deciduous forests
Similar species:
Melitaea didyma