Saturday 14 January 2017

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

The Pearl-bordered Fritillary was once a common butterfly in English woods when coppicing was common place. But since the demise of this practise of woodland coppicing, it has also brought the demise of this beautiful butterfly in many parts of England. It is still commonly found in Scotland, with a few sites left in Wales and just the one site in Southern Ireland.

They first appear in late April and, fly throughout June. They are single brooded, and the sexes are quite similar. The eggs [ovum] are laid on or close to, various Violets and, the tiny larva hatch between 12-16 days. They overwinter as a caterpillar and, resume feeding in the spring. The pupal stage last a further 2.5-3.5 weeks.

Male Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Male Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Female Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Female Pearl-bordered Fritillary

All photographs are the copyright of Nick Broomer

No comments:

Post a Comment