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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.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
 
Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Clossiana euphrosyne LINNAEUS, 1758
Family - NYMPHALINAE
subfamily - HELICONIINAE
Tribe - ARGYNNINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Pearl-bordered Fritillary Clossiana euphrosyne, copulated pair, Hampshire, England
 
Introduction
 
The English name of this beautiful and increasingly rare species is derived from the row of silvery spots around the borders of the underside hindwings. The Latin name refers to Euphrosyne, the Greek goddess of Joy, and one of the three Graces.
 

Although the Pearl-bordered and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries bear a superficial resemblance to the Marsh, Heath and Glanville Fritillaries, they belong to entirely different sub-families. The latter 3 species are members of the Melitaeini - a tribe within the Nymphalinae.

The genera Clossiana and Argynnis however are placed in the tribe Argynnini, which belongs to the sub-family Heliconiinae, a group that encompasses the Heliconius Longwings of South America, the Acraeini of Africa, and the Argynnini of the Holarctic region.
 
The Pearl-bordered Fritillary is distributed throughout most of Europe, but is absent from Ireland, Portugal and southern Spain. The species is tolerant of cool climates, it's range extending to the north of Sweden, and across temperate Asia as far as the Tien Shan mountains.
 
Pearl-bordered Fritillary Clossiana euphrosyne, male, Hampshire, England
 
It often shares it's habitats with the closely related Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, but can tolerate drier conditions. The flight periods of the 2 species overlap, so that worn specimens of euphrosyne can be seen in the company of fresh specimens of selene. The latter is easily distinguished by examining the undersides, which have additional silver spots in the median area, and distinct black chevrons on the inner edge of the submarginal silver spots. The uppersides of selene have darker veins and more linear markings than euphrosyne. See comparison photographs.
 
The flight period of the Pearl-bordered Fritillary is variable according to season, usually from early May until early June, but the butterflies can emerge in mid-late April in forward seasons, hence the old name "April Fritillary". Click here to see the historic names of all British butterflies.
 
Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Hampshire, England
 
Habitats

The Pearl-bordered Fritillary was formerly widespread in Britain, and in the 1960's was still regarded as fairly common in woods throughout England and Wales - in fact it was quite difficult then to find a wood where the butterfly did not occur. In the last 40 years however it has contracted it's range dramatically - a result of the virtual cessation of coppice management in woodlands. Coppicing created a profusion of violets and nectar sources such as bugle, which are essential to the survival of the butterfly.

Neglect of coppices, and the coniferisation of almost all Forestry Commission land, has eliminated most colonies in Britain. Populations continue to decline, and local extinctions are increasing, but the butterfly still occurs at about 80 sites in the UK, mainly in the western counties of England, Wales and Scotland.

The butterflies breed in lightly wooded habitats where dog violets or marsh violets grow in profusion in small sheltered clearings, and where bracken is present but not dominant.

Typical sites include hazel coppice, clearings and wide rides in coniferous or deciduous woodland, limestone pavements, and around the northern shores of Scottish lochs.

Pearl-bordered Fritillary Clossiana euphrosyne, male, Hampshire, England
 
Lifecycle
 
The butterflies emerge in May, and lay their eggs singly or in pairs, on dry bracken or dead grasses in sheltered and semi-shaded situations where violets grow in profusion.
 
The caterpillars hatch after about 2 weeks, feeding diurnally on the leaves of dog violet Viola riviniana. In northern Britain V. palustris is more commonly used, and in Europe V. odorata and V. hirta are also used.
 
In August or September, when about half grown, they enter hibernation amongst leaf litter. The following spring, usually in late March, they awaken and on sunny days can sometimes be seen basking on dead bracken and oak leaves on the forest floor. They continue feeding on violet leaves, becoming fully grown in April, when they are black, with bright yellow-orange spikes along the back.
 
In mid April they wander in search of a pupation site. The greyish brown pupa hangs by the cremaster from a dry stem, close to the ground.
 
Occasionally a partial 2nd brood emerges in August, but this is extremely unusual in Britain, even in very warm summers.
 
Adult behaviour
 

Pearl-bordered Fritillary Clossiana euphrosyne, female, Surrey, England

 

The flight of the Pearl-bordered Fritillary is rapid and in broad circles, with a flit-and-glide motion, just above the herb layer.

 

The butterflies periodically dip down to the ground to gorge themselves on the nectar of their favourite flowers - bugle. They adopt a head-downwards posture while feeding, as they have a relatively short proboscis, and cannot easily reach into the flowers when in an upright position. Although bugle is greatly preferred, they also occasionally nectar at dandelion, and I have seen them visiting hawthorn blossom in the New Forest.

 

On sunny mornings early in the flight season males can be seen patrolling relentlessly around woodland clearings in search of potential mates. Females are probably mated very soon after emergence, and in many cases before their maiden flight. Copulation takes place in late morning or early afternoon, and lasts about an hour.

 

Male-male encounters result in a brief dog-fight lasting only a few seconds, after which each goes their separate way.

 

In cloudy but bright weather, both sexes spend short periods basking, sometimes on logs or bare earth, but more commonly on dead bracken.

 

Pearl-bordered Fritillary Clossiana euphrosyne, male nectaring at bugle flowers

 

Overnight, or in heavily overcast weather, they roost in sheltered situations, typically on bracken fronds, on the dead flower-heads of St Johns wort, or on the leaf buds of pine saplings. In wet weather they roost tucked under dead bracken and leaf litter.

 
                                                       
Almost every British and European species of butterfly is declining rapidly in numbers, due in most cases to loss or degradation of habitats.
 
You can help to reverse the decline by supporting conservation organisations which purchase and manage habitats as nature reserves, and which lobby government at local, national and international levels, often very successfully, to bring about changes in farming, forestry and urban development policies.
 
Please contact the conservation organisations for advice on how you can help protect British and European butterflies and their habitats. You may be able to offer practical help e.g. by monitoring butterfly populations or helping to manage nature reserves. Donations to these organisations enable them to employ ecologists and biologists. Even if you are unable to provide such help, merely having your name on the membership list can be a powerful tool for conservation organisations wishing to demonstrate the levels of support they have for their policies.

 

 
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