|
Butterflies
of the World - Lifecycle, Ecology, Taxonomy, Conservation,
Photography, Butterfly Holidays, Photo Galleries, Book Reviews and
more.........
Butterfly Study Holidays
Trip Reports
Butterfly Diary - latest sightings Where to find butterflies Frequently Asked Questions Test Your Knowledge Strange but true ! Taxonomy & Evolution Anatomy Lifecycle Ecology Survival Strategies The Enemies of Butterflies Migration & Dispersal Habitats in Britain Rainforests World Butterfly Census Butterfly Books Butterfly Art Gallery Butterfly photography Butterflies of the British Isles Butterflies of the French Alps Butterflies of Amazonia Butterflies of the Andes Butterflies of Malaysia & Borneo Butterflies of West Africa Species index Subject index Glossary
Text and photographs
protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins
2007, and must not be published
in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the
author.
|
![]() | |
|
Butterflies of
Britain & Europe
Silver-washed
Fritillary
Argynnis paphia
LINNAEUS, 1758
Family - NYMPHALINAE
subfamily -
HELICONIINAE
Tribe - ARGYNNINI
introduction
|
habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
Text and images protected by Copyright © Adrian
Hoskins 2007-2008, ( unless stated otherwise ) and must not be reproduced or published in part
or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from
Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.
Website designed, produced and owned by
Adrian Hoskins
Silver-washed Fritillary
Argynnis paphia, male, Wiltshire, England
The Silver-washed
Fritillary is one of Europe's largest and most magnificent
butterflies. The male, illustrated above is easily distinguished
from the female by the 4 prominent horizontal dark streaks on it's forewings. These
contain androconial scales, from which pheromones are
released during the courtship flight.
Silver-washed Fritillary
Argynnis paphia, female, Wiltshire, England
Females have a similar
pattern of black spots, but lack the horizontal streaks. They
are normally a dull golden colour, often with a slight greenish
tinge. The greyish female illustrated below is the much scarcer
and very beautiful form known as
valesina.
This variety is recessive, and only occurs at certain sites -
usually in long established colonies in oak forests.
Silver-washed Fritillary
Argynnis paphia, female form
valesina
The butterfly is
common and widely distributed across much of Europe, but absent
from northern Scandinavia, northern Britain, and the southern
parts of the Iberian peninsula. Beyond Europe it occurs in
northern Algeria, and is widespread across temperate
Asia, reaching China, Korea and Japan.
Silver-washed Fritillary
Argynnis paphia, male, Alice Holt
forest, Hampshire, England
The common name refers
to the suffused silvery markings on the greenish underside
hindwings. These features help to distinguish this species from
the European
Pandoriana pandora,
in which these markings are much more clearly defined.
Another similar
species is
Childrena zenobia,
found in China, Siberia and Tibet, which has a conspicuous
lattice of silver markings on the underside hindwings.
Argyronome ruslana
from Korea, Siberia and Japan is also very similar to
Argynnis paphia
on the upperside, but it's underside hindwings have a broken
silver median line dividing the greenish basal area from the
reddish outer half of the wings.
Silver-washed Fritillary
Argynnis paphia, males basking on
bracken in early morning
Habitats
The
Silver-washed Fritillary prefers slightly shadier conditions than most other woodland
Fritillaries, and has been better able to survive in high canopy forests and in
woods that have become neglected and overgrown. The highest populations occur in
mature oak plantations where a program of regular thinning encourages a profusion of dog
violets to germinate beneath the trees. The best sites are also typified by
having glades and grassy tracks where thistles, brambles and other nectar sources
are abundant.
Silver-washed
Fritillary
Argynnis paphia, males at bramble, Hampshire, England
Lifecycle
The
butterflies emerge in June and July, and have a life expectancy of about 3-4
weeks, although many are killed by birds before fulfilling their potential life
spans.
The
greenish-white eggs are laid singly in crevices in the bark of oaks, and more rarely on other
trees including beech, ash and larch; normally at a height of about 2 metres, on the moss-covered
east or north-facing side of the trees. Often a female will revisit the same favoured
tree trunk, laying a dozen or more eggs in the space of an afternoon.
Immediately after hatching in August, the larvae devour their egg-shells which
contain vital nutrients. They then enter a state of diapause, remaining hidden in
the crevices of the bark until the arrival of sunny weather in March of the
following year. At this time they descend the trees and wander in search of dog
violets
Viola riviniana.
They feed diurnally, eating only the lobes of the violet leaves, and then
move on to another plant.
The fully grown larvae can
sometimes be found basking on dead oak leaves in May or early June. They are
black, with a double yellow line along the back, and adorned with dull orange
branched spikes on the back and sides. The 2 spikes on the first segment are
black, and inclined forward over the head.
The
slightly spiky pupa is mottled in shades of brown, and decorated with golden spots.
It is almost impossible to find in the wild. It hangs by the cremaster from
woody stems in shaded situations close to the ground. The pupal stage lasts for
about 3 weeks.
Silver-washed Fritillary
Argynnis paphia, male, Hampshire, England
Silver-washed
Fritillary
Argynnis paphia, male, West
Sussex, England
Adult behaviour
The first males emerge in late June, appearing about a week before the first females.
Individual butterflies can live for up to a month, with worn
specimens seen as late as early September.
Overnight, and during dull weather,
the butterflies roost amongst oak leaves high in the tree tops. In
the early morning they bask high up until the rays of the sun
reach the forest floor, and then drift down to continue basking on
bracken, hazel leaves, and other low vegetation.
Silver-washed Fritillary
Argynnis paphia, male, Hampshire, England
As the day warms
up they become more active, nectaring avidly at thistles, bramble
blossom, lime blossom, hemp agrimony, hogweed and ragwort. They are also often seen
imbibing honey-dew from the surface of leaves, or settling on
stony tracks to obtain mineral-rich moisture.
The courtship ritual of the
Silver-washed Fritillary is one of the most endearing and familiar
sights of the English summer - the female flies in a straight line
along woodland tracks at a height of about 2 metres, with the male
repeatedly looping around her, showering her with pheromones.
After enticing her into copulation, he carries her in flight to a
safe resting place high in an oak tree. Periodically the pair fly
down to settle on bracken or hazel, or to nectar at bramble, but
return to the tree tops if disturbed. Copulation lasts about 2
hours and takes place in late morning or early afternoon.
|