Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 09.i.2025

Boloria pales / Shepherd's Fritillary
Flutura e bariut
Nymphalidae - Heliconiinae

Boloria pales  ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775). TL: Vienna.

1a. Boloria pales, distribution map (09.i.2025). Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Boloria pales ♀ upperside. Austria (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Boloria pales ♂ upperside, caught in a spider web. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Boloria pales ♂ upperside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 16-18 mm.
Hw: margin slightly angled at v8.
Ups: pale fulvous gc, variable small markings.
Unh: darker orange up to nearly uniform red gc.
♀♀
Similar size.
Ups: paler gc.
Unf: black spots poorly marked, small or absent.
Unh: only one postdiscal ocellus with bright center (other ocelli if present: blind)

Similar species

Boloria graeca Size:similar. Unf: well marked, small black spots. Unh: yellowish-red gc. Unh: prominent pupilled pd spots. Boloria dia Size:smaller Boloria. Unh: violet-brown gc. Unh: silvery discal spots in s1c, s4, s7. Boloria euphrosyne Size:larger Boloria. Unh: sandy-red gc, yellow discal band. Unh: prominent silvery marginal spots. Boloria titania Size:largest Boloria. Unh: marbled purple-brown gc.

Life cycle
Adults: single generation from July to August.
Egg: short stage.
Caterpillar: overwintering as young larva.
Pupa: short stage.

Habitat
Boloria pales inhabits flowery, moist alpine meadows from 2100 up to 2600 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement is modest, population density can be high.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Viola calcarata and V. cenisia, also mentioned are Bistorta vivipara, Plantago alpina, Valeriana sp. and Dryas sp.
Butterflies feed on a large variety of flowers.

Distribution
Albania: very local 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*
Not at all presenti in Asia Minor, Near East, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.

Conservation status
Boloria pales is not endangered, at the southern limit of its European range in the Balkan peninsula.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: NA.

Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps

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