Marsh fritillary

Euphydryas aurinia
Marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) male.jpg
Male E. a. aurinia, Dorset
Marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) female underside.jpg
Female E. a. aurinia, Dorset
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Euphydryas
Species:
E. aurinia
Binomial name
Euphydryas aurinia
(Rottemburg, 1775)
Synonyms[2]
List
  • Papilio artemis Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
  • Papilio maturna Esper, 1777
  • Papilio lye Bergsträsser, 1780
  • Papilio koloswarensis Piller & Mitterpacher, 1783
  • Papilio matutina Thunberg, 1791
  • Papilio merope De Prunner, 1798
  • Melitaea brunnea Tutt, 1896
  • Melitaea ochrea Tutt, 1896
  • Melitaea virgata Tutt, 1896
  • Melitaea nana Rehfons, 1910
  • Melitaea turbida Gélin & Lucas, 1912
  • Melitaea unipuncta Kiefer, 1916
  • Melitaea hoffmanni Kiefer, 1916
  • Melitaea semifuscata Cabeau, 1919
  • Melitaea epimolpadia Reverdin, 1919
  • Melitaea didyma Heinrich, 1923
  • Melitaea rectiangula Cabeau, 1924
  • Melitaea catherini Le Charles, 1924
  • Melitaea perianthes Cabeau, 1926
  • Melitaea interligata Derenne, 1926
  • Melitaea gracilens Cabeau, 1927
  • Melitaea geminifasciata Cabeau, 1927
  • Melitaea transversa Cabeau, 1928
  • Melitaea deficiens Cabeau, 1928
  • Melitaea leucophana Cabeau, 1928
  • Melitaea frigescens Verity, 1928
  • Melitaea moritura Verity, 1928
  • Melitaea debilisprovincialis Verity, 1928
  • Melitaea valentini Nitsche, 1928
  • Melitaea semigriseis Cabeau, 1931
  • Melitaea tetramelana Cabeau, 1931
  • Melitaea semigracilens Cabeau, 1931
  • Melitaea melanoleuca Cabeau, 1932
  • Melitaea flavofasciata Hackray, 1934
  • Melitaea insterburgia Braun, 1937
  • Euphydryas albofasciata Frohawk, 1938
  • Euphydryas suffusa Frohawk, 1938
  • Melitaea infra-rectiangula Caruel, 1939
  • Melitaea ocellata Caruel, 1944
  • Melitaea arcuata Caruel, 1944
  • Melitaea commacula Caruel, 1944
  • Melitaea ligata Caruel, 1944
  • Melitaea splendida Mauny, 1949

The marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Commonly distributed in the Palearctic region, the marsh fritillary's common name derives from one of its several habitats, marshland. The prolonged larval stage lasts for approximately seven to eight months and includes a period of hibernation over the winter. The larvae are dependent on the host food plant Succisa pratensis not only for feeding but also for hibernation, because silken webs are formed on the host plant as the gregarious larvae enter hibernation. Females lay eggs in batches on the host plant and are, like other batch-layers, selective about the location of oviposition because offspring survivorship levels for batch-layers are more tied to location selection than they are for single-egg layers.

As of 2019 the butterfly's global conservation status is considered of least concern, but it has faced rapid decline and is considered regionally vulnerable or endangered over much of its range.

  1. ^ van Swaay, C.; Wynhoff, I.; Wiemers, M.; et al. (2014). "Euphydryas aurinia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T174182A53714349. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  2. ^ Euphydryas aurinia (Rottemburg, 1775) Goldener Scheckenfalter. Lepiforum.de