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Euphydryas aurinia / Marsh Fritillary
E hershmja
Nymphalidae - Nymphalinae
Euphydryas aurinia (Rottemburg, 1775). TL: Paris.
 
  
1a. Euphydryas aurinia, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Euphydryas aurinia ♂ upperside. Skenderbej, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Habitat of Euphydryas aurinia. Skenderbej, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Euphydryas aurinia ♀ upperside. Shebenik, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Euphydryas aurinia underside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 17-19 mm.
Ups: yellow-buff gc, orange cell-spot and postdiscal band, black markings variable.
Uph: dark spots in the orange postdiscal band from s1a to s6.
Uns: paler yellow-orange gc, light orange bands.
Unf: no or inconspicuous dark spots in postdiscal band.
♀♀
Larger, markings similar.
Similar species
None.
Life cycle
Adults: single generation from May (lowland) to early June, mid June to end July at higher altitude.
Egg: 25-38 days.
Caterpillar: overwintering in a silky net as L4 larva.
Pupa: 15-25 days.
Habitat
Euphydryas aurinia inhabits various dry and moist grasslands with flowering plants and scattered bushes as well as open areas in forests and forest edges from lowland up to 2000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement modest, population density can be high.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed mainly on Succisa pratensis, Scabiosa sp., Knautia arvensis, and at higher altitudes on Gentiana sp. Also mentioned are Centaurea scabiosa, Cephalaria leucantha, Dipsacus fullonum, Lonicera sp., Menyanthes trifoliata, Plantago sp., Succisa pratensis and Valeriana sp.
Butterflies feed on a variety of flowers.
Distribution
Albania: local (more research needed)
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 aurinia is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: LC.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
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