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Melitaea trivia / Lesser Spotted Fritillary
Trivia
Nymphalidae - Nymphalinae
Melitaea trivia ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775). TL: Vienna.
 
  
  
1a. Melitaea trivia, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Melitaea trivia ♀ upperside. Mali i Thatë, Albania (©Lulëzim Shuka)
1c. Melitaea trivia underside. Mjede, Vau-Dejes, Albania (© Marko Prendi)
1d. Melitaea trivia ♂ underside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Melitaea trivia ♂ upperside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1f. Habitat of Melitaea trivia. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1g. Melitaea trivia caterpillar. North of Mali i Korabit (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1h. Melitaea trivia copula. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 17-19 mm. In summer sometimes very small.
Ups: orange gc.
Uph: black submarginal dots narrow.
Unh: triangular marginal spots, lower discoidal vein present.
♀♀
Larger.
Ups: often bichrome, diffuse black suffusion.
Similar species
Life cycle
Adults: two to three generations depending on altitude.
Egg: probably short stage.
Caterpillar: probably overwintering as small larva.
Pupa: probably short stage.
Habitat
Melitaea trivia inhabits rough banks and flowery slopes from lowland up to 1800 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement low, population density can be high.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Verbascum sp., rarely mentioned are Veronica sp.
Butterflies feed on a larg variety of flowers.
Distribution
Albania: widespread in the mountains.
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
Melitaea trivia is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: LC.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
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larger Melitaea.
bright orange-red gc.
not enclosed orange marginal lunules.
round marginal spots.
variable grey suffusion.