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Euphydryas maturna / Scarce Fritillary
Maturna
Nymphalidae - Nymphalinae
Euphydryas maturna (Linnaeus 1758). TL: Not stated.
 
 
1a. Euphydryas maturna, distribution map (09.i.2025).  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Euphydryas maturna ♀ upperside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Habitat of Euphydryas maturna. Cerem, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Euphydryas maturna ♀. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Medium size butterfly. Fw: 21-23 mm.
Ups: red gc.
Upf: pale cream spots on costa, broad red posdiscal band.
Uph: series of pale white-cream spots, broad red posdiscal band.
Uns: orange gc, orange marginal borders.
♀♀
Larger.
Upf: pale orange spots in costa, less red postdiscal band.
Unh: similar markings.
Similar species
None.
Life cycle
Adults: single generation from June to July.
Egg: 15 days.
Caterpillar: overwintering as small larva.
Pupa: 18 days.
Habitat
Euphydryas maturna inhabits woodland or scrubland with an under-layer rich in herb species from lowland up to above 1000 m a.s.l. in localities at the southern limit of the distribution range.
Spatial requirment modest, population density can be high.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Fraxinus excelsior before hibernation and in spring mainly on Lonicera sp., Plantago sp. Valeriana sp. and Veronica sp., also mentioned are Dipsacus sp., Fagus sylvatica, Ligustrum vulgare, Melampyrum nemorosum, Populus tremula, Prunus spinosa, Salix sp., Succisa pratensis, and Viburnum sp.
Butterflies show little feeding activity on flowers, sometimes on Umbelliferae.
Distribution
Albania: very local in the Northern Albanian Alps (more research needed) and at the southern limit of its distribution range in the Balkan peninsula.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Asia Minor, Near East, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.
Conservation status
Euphydryas maturna is at the southern limit of its European range in Albania.
Albanian Red List: DD.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: NA.
Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
(url) Cuvelier S., Parmentier L., Qirinxhki X. & Paparisto A. 2023. Butterflies of Albania new data and going online. Fluturatat e Shqipërisë të dhëna të reja dhe faqja online (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) — Buletini i Shkencave te Natyres, Tirana university. 32(2022): 5-31.
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