Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
The small pearl-bordered fritillary is a small fritillary of wet meadows, with clear white and rusty spots in a pattern on the hindwing underside.
Key facts
- Latin name
- Boloria selene
- Family
- Nymphalidae
- Wingspan
- 30-42 mm
- Flight season
- May — August
- Host plants
- Marsh violet, Wild pansy
- Conservation status
- LCLeast Concern
Appearance
The small pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria selene) is a small butterfly with a wingspan of 30–42 mm. The upper side is orange with black markings typical of fritillaries.
The underside of the hindwings is the key mark: a mosaic of white, rusty, and silvery spots. Seven silvery-white marginal spots and a large central silvery spot give a neat, "jeweled" look.
Range and habitat
Widespread in Europe, Asia, and North America. In Russia in forest and forest-steppe zones.
It lives on wet and damp meadows, clearcuts, and peat bogs. Linked to sites where violets grow.
Life cycle
In Russia one or two generations. Flight May–August.
Eggs laid singly on violets. Caterpillar overwinters. Pupa suspended, brownish.
Habitat conservation
The species suffers from drainage of bogs and wet meadows. Its numbers indicate the state of small river floodplains and wet clearcuts. It persists in mosaic landscapes where wet meadows alternate with scrub.
