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Wingspan 55 - 69mm

High Brown Fritillary Argynnis adippe ar-GIN-iss a-DIP-ee Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 Ref: 1606

Superfamily: Papilionoidea Family: Nymphalidae Subfamily: Argynninae Genus: Argynnis Subgenus:   Species: adippe Subspecies: vulgoadippe (Verity, 1929)

Introduction Distribution Annual Cycle Habitat Larval Foodplants Nectar Sources

Imago Ovum Larva Pupa Similar Species Videos

Sites Conservation Status Links References

Male

Male Underside

Female

Female Underside

	Introduction

The High Brown Fritillary is a butterfly over which there is much concern due to a decline of over 90% since the 1970s. One cause of decline is believed to be the cessation of woodland coppicing, a practice which opens up new areas of suitable habitat that the butterfly is able to colonise once existing sites have become overgrown.

This butterfly is easily mistaken for a Dark Green Fritillary and the two often fly together, making a positive identification almost impossible unless the butterfly is at rest. The two species are most easily distinguished by their undersides, where the High Brown Fritillary has a row of brown spots between the outer margin and the silver spangles, which are missing in the Dark Green Fritillary. A less-reliable identification guide is that, as its name suggests, the High Brown Fritillary has a predominately brown hue to the underside, whereas the Dark Green Fritillary is predominately green.

Subspecies: vulgoadippe

The population in the British Isles is represented by this subspecies.

	Distribution

This butterfly is confined to sites in Cumbria, the Malvern Hills on the Welsh border and the south west of England.

	Annual Cycle

Adults emerge in the second half of June on southern sites, peaking in early July, but may not appear until early July further north, peaking a little later in mid-July. There is a single generation each year.

Subspecies: vulgoadippe

	Habitat

This butterfly can be found in suitably-managed woodland, although they soon disappear should the site become too overgrown, with no suitably-warm undergrowth remaining for egg-laying and larval development. The butterfly is also found on rough grassland, including grassland found on the edges of woods where there is sufficient light to promote growth of the violets. This species can also be found on limestone pavement, such as the colonies around Morecambe Bay, where violets grow between the cracks.

	Larval Foodplants

The primary larval foodplants are Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana) and Hairy Violet (Viola hirta). Heath Dog-violet (Viola canina) and Pale Dog-violet (Viola lactea) are also used.

	Nectar Sources

Adults feed primarily on Thistles (Cirsium spp. and Carduus spp.). Betony (Stachys officinalis), Bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.), Knapweeds (Centaurea spp.) and Thyme (Thymus polytrichus) are also used.

	Imago

Both sexes fly powerfully and can be difficult to observe unless nectaring on Bramble or Thistle, or when resting low down on vegetation. Males will patrol wide areas of habitat when looking for a mate, and will investigate any brown object that might be a virgin female. Pairing typically takes place in late morning. Both sexes roost high in trees at night and in dull weather.

Females are often most-easily seen when egg-laying, when they flutter low over the ground in search of the larval foodplant. Sunny and sheltered sites are preferred and the female can be seen crawling in the dappled sunlight beneath vegetation close to the larval foodplant, before laying a single egg on a dead leaf, dead bracken frond or twig. Several eggs may be laid in the same area.

Subspecies: vulgoadippe

Photo © NickB 04-Jul-2009	Photo © Paul	Photo © Paul	Photo © Pete Eeles 13-Jul-2005
Photo © Pete Eeles	Photo © Pete Eeles 06-Jul-2006	Photo © Vince Massimo 09-Jul-2009	Photo © Vince Massimo 09-Jul-2009
Photo © Vince Massimo 09-Jul-2009	Photo © Dave Pearson	Photo © Mark Pike	Photo © Adrian Riley
Photo © Sussex Kipper 18-Jun-2009	Photo © Sussex Kipper 19-Jun-2009	Photo © PhiliB 30-Jun-2010

	Aberrations

Description to be completed

	Ovum

Eggs are pink when first laid, but turn grey as the larva develops inside. The fully-formed larva remains in the egg through the winter.

Photo © Pete Eeles 17-Mar-2007

Photo © Pete Eeles 28-Jan-2007

	Larva

On hatching the larva goes in search of its foodplant, initially feeding on the tenderest leaves, where it leaves characteristic notches in the leaf lobes. Larvae feed during the day and more mature larvae can be found basking in the sun, raising their body temperature to aid digestion. There are 5 moults in total and this stage lasts around 9 weeks.

Photo © Pete Eeles 10-May-2004	Photo © Pete Eeles 19-May-2004	Photo © Pete Eeles 28-May-2004	Photo © Pete Eeles 28-May-2006
Photo © Pete Eeles	Photo © Pete Eeles 31-May-2004	Photo © Pete Eeles 31-May-2004

	Pupa

The larva forms a loose tent-like structure by spinning a few leaves together, in which it pupates. The dark brown pupa is formed head down within this structure, attached by the cremaster, resembling a shrivelled leaf. This stage lasts around 3 weeks.

Photo © Pete Eeles 12-Jun-2004

Photo © Pete Eeles 09-Jun-2006

	Similar Species

Dark Green Fritillary

The Dark Green Fritillary and High Brown Fritillary are most easily distinguished by their undersides, since only the High Brown Fritillary has a row of "ocelli" just inside the outer margin. In addition, as the name suggests, the High Brown Fritillary has a predominately brown hue to the underside, whereas the Dark Green Fritillary is predominately green.

Dark Green Fritillary	High Brown Fritillary

It is much more difficult to distinguish the Dark Green Fritillary from the High Brown Fritillary based on their uppersides. However, as can be seen in the figures below, the first row of dots inside the upperwing border does give a clue - the 3rd dot from the apex of the forewing is in line with the other dots in the Dark Green Fritillary, but indented in the High Brown Fritillary.

Dark Green Fritillary	High Brown Fritillary

Queen of Spain Fritillary

Description to be completed

Silver-washed Fritillary

Description to be completed

	Videos

Play Video

Play Video

	Sites

Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below.

Rating	Sites
	Arnside Knott, Gait Barrows, Warton Crag, Whitbarrow NNR
	Barkbooth Lot, Hutton Roof Crags, Latterbarrow, Leighton Moss, Old Castle Down
Not rated	Bircher Common, Blackadon, Cabilla Woods, Dart Valley, Dunsford, Dunsford Meadow, Heddon Valley, Hembury Woods, Malvern Hills, New Bridge, Room Hill, Watersmeet, West Down

	Conservation Status

Although there has been some recovery at sites which are specifically managed for this butterfly, the High Brown Fritillary is one of our most threatened butterflies whose numbers have plummeted since the 1970s, being extinct over 94% of its former range. Factors causing this decline include a reduction in coppicing practices, agricultural improvement, and lack of grazing and traditional forms of bracken management. This butterfly is therefore a priority species for conservation efforts.

UK BAP Status	Distribution Trend	Population Trend
Priority Species Click here to access the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) for this species.

From The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) (2007 review).

	Links

The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.

• British Butterflies by Steven Cheshire
• Butterfly Conservation priority species factsheet
• Butterfly Conservation species action plan
• Butterfly Monitoring Scheme
• European Butterflies by Christopher Jonko
• European Butterflies by Matt Rowlings
• Guy Padfield's European Butterfly Page
• Learn About Butterflies by Adrian Hoskins
• Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa
• Natural History Museum (Cockayne Database)

	References

The species description provided here has been derived from the author's own observations and the information contained in the following works:

• A Natural History of British Butterflies, by F.W.Frohawk.
• British and Irish Butterflies, by Adrian M. Riley
• South's British Butterflies, by T.G.Howarth (which is based extensively on the classic work, "The Butterflies of the British Isles", by Richard South).
• The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington.
• The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, by Jim Asher, Martin Warren, Richard Fox, Paul Harding, Gail Jeffcoate, Stephen Jeffcoate.
• The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Volume 7 (1) Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae (the Butterflies), by A. Maitland Emmet and John Heath (editors).
• The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, Richard Fox, Jim Asher, Tom Brereton, David Roy and Martin Warren.

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