Pearl-bordered Fritillary

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Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera Superfamily: Papilionoidea Family: Nymphalidae Genus: Boloria Species: B. euphrosyne
Binomial name
Boloria euphrosyne Linnaeus, 1758

The Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is widespread throughout Europe, ranging from Scandinavia and northern Spain and from Britain eastwards towards Russia and Asia.

It is orange with black spots on the upperside of its wing and has a wingspan of 38-46mms. On the underside wings there is a row of silver pearl markings along the edge, which give the species its name. It is often confused with the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary but can be ditinguished from it by its red chevrons along its pearl boreder (the small pearl-boredered has black chevrons) as well as the presence of a single silver spot in the middle of a row of yellow spots. The female has both darker markings and rounder wings than the male. The caterpillars are black with white or yellow spines along their backs.

Like other species of fritillary, the males have special scent glands on their wings so that they can be recognised by females of their own species and therefore find a suitable partner. After mating the female will lay her eggs on the leaves of violet plants which then hatch after 10-14 days.

The emmerging caterpillars begin feeding immediately and will moult three times within the first 5-6 weeks. Each caterpillar will then hibbernate in a shrivelled laef at the base of the plant, usually at the end of July. When they awaken the following March, they are half their previous size having shrunk during hibbernation. After a period of feeding and growth, during which it has moulted one last time, the caterpillar is full size and ready to pupate. The chrysalis stage last just 10-14 days. The adult butterfly flies between late April and June.