 Wingspan
Male: 38 - 46mm
Female: 43 - 47mm |
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Pearl-bordered Fritillary
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Boloria euphrosyne
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Linnaeus, 1758 |
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Ref: 1601 |
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| Superfamily: | Papilionoidea |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Subfamily: | Argynninae |
| Genus: | Boloria |
| Subgenus: | |
| Species: | euphrosyne |
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Male |
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Male Underside |
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Female |
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Female Underside |
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This woodland butterfly gets its name from the series of "pearls" that run along the outside edge of the underside of the hindwing. Males are often seen flying swiftly, low across the breeding site in search of a mate and are extremely difficult to follow, the colouring of the wings providing excellent camouflage against the dead bracken that is often found at these sites. The Pearl-bordered Fritillary may fly with the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary at certain sites, although the Pearl-bordered Fritillary, which emerges a couple of weeks before the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, generally appears much paler in colour as a result.
This butterfly forms discrete colonies which can be found in isolated pockets in southern and western England, Wales, Scotland and the Burren in western Ireland. Colonies can fluctuate wildly in numbers, from a couple of dozen to over a thousand, this being largely-determined by the availability of suitable habitat. Most colonies contain a few dozen adults.
This is the earliest of our fritillaries to emerge. In good years, the butterfly emerges at the end of April in the south - this butterfly once being known as the "April Fritillary" as a result. Most adults emerge at the start of May, but may not appear until the end of May in more northern sites. In exceptional years, there may be a partial second brood at some southern sites, with adults emerging in August. 
This butterfly is typically found in deciduous woodland containing open areas, such as woodland clearings, that provide the right conditions, foodplants and nectar sources for this species to thrive. This butterfly can also be found in conifer plantations and limestone pavements in some areas. Sites are generally suitable 2 to 4 years after a woodland clearing has been formed, when the foodplants and nectar sources are optimal for this species. However, these sites can quickly become overgrown and, unless there is suitable habitat nearby, colonies will tend to die out.
The primary larval foodplant is Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana). Heath Dog-violet (Viola canina) and Marsh Violet (Viola palustris) are also used.
Adults feed primarily on Bugle (Ajuga reptans). Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scriptus), Buttercups (Ranunculus spp.), Dandelion (Taraxacum agg.), Hawkweeds (Hieracium/Hypochoeris), Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi), Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris), Thistles (Cirsium spp. and Carduus spp.) and Tormentil (Potentilla erecta) are also used.
Males start their day by nectaring on various flowers, such as those of Bugle, Dandelion, Bird's-foot Trefoil and Buttercup, before patrolling low over the breeding sites in search of a mate, investigating any reddish brown object encountered. When a virgin female is found, the female will fly to a suitable platform, sometimes at some height, where the two mate, staying together for 30 to 60 minutes. Egg-laying females are relatively-easy to follow in flight as they flutter slowly and deliberately low down over vegetation, searching out suitable patches of foodplant on which to lay.
Description to be completed
Eggs are generally laid singly on the underside of a leaf of the foodplant, but may be laid on nearby vegetation. The egg is yellow when first laid, turning grey prior to the larva emerging. This stage lasts around 2 weeks.
Larvae feed by day and generally rest in leaf litter, but can also be found, especially after hibernation, basking on dead bracken. Larvae will eat whole leaves, leaving just the stem intact. They will also feed on only the leaf lobes, at the base of the leaf, leaving characteristic feeding damage that can give away the presence of a nearby larva. After moulting for the third time the larva enters hibernation, generally in a dried leaf, emerging in the spring to complete its growth. There are 4 moults in total.
The pupa is formed low down in vegetation, suspended head down and attached by the cremaster. This stage lasts around 3 weeks.
The Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary are most easily distinguished by their undersides. Both species have a row of 7 white "pearls" running along the edge of the hindwing (hence their vernacular names). However, the Pearl-bordered Fritillary has only 2 additional "pearls" on the underside hindwing, whereas the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary has many more. The Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary also has a greater variety of brown colouration making it, in general, the more colourful underside.
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| Pearl-bordered Fritillary |
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary |
It is much more difficult to distinguish the Pearl-bordered Fritillary from the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary based on their uppersides. However, as can be seen in the figures below, there are two general differences. The first is that, in the Pearl-bordered Fritillary, the triangles next to the wing edge are often "floating" and not attached to the outer margin. The second is that, in the Pearl-bordered Fritillary, the second row of dots from the edge are midway between the outer row of dots, and the inner row of dots. Whereas in the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, the dots are not midway, but distinctly closer to the outer row of dots.
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| Pearl-bordered Fritillary |
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary |
Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below. |
 | Gait Barrows, Warton Crag, Whitbarrow NNR |  | Bentley Wood, Cambus O'May, Leighton Moss, Pignal Inclosure, Wyre Forest |  | Glasdrum Wood |  | Brickfields Country Park, Oaken Wood |  | | | Not rated | Allt Mhuic Nature Reserve, Ashclyst Forest, Beckley Woods, Blackmoor Copse, Bovey Valley Woodlands, Breney Common, Bunny's Hill, Chudleigh Knighton Heath, Clais Fhearnaig, Coulnacraig Meadow, Craigower Hill, Devil's Spittleful and Rifle Range, Dunsford Meadow, Earl's Hill, Eyarth Rocks, Flatropers Wood, Great Torrington Commons, Greenscombe Woods, Hailey Wood, Haldon Butterfly Walk, Haldon Woods, Hawkswood, Hutton Roof Crags, Jones' Rough, Linn of Tummel, Llanymynech Rocks, Loch Arkaig, Loch of Aboyne, Lydford Old Railway, Mabie Forest, Marsland Reserve, Miners Rest, Morrone Birkwood, New Bridge, Rewell Wood, Thundery Meadow, Tuckingmill, West Down, Woodside, Ynys-Hir |
Once considered common and widespread, the Pearl-bordered Fritillary is now one of our most-threatened species. The cessation of coppicing which resulted in the loss of suitable habitat is believed to be one of the major causes of this drastic decline. Conservation efforts have therefore focused on habitat management and there have been a number of success stories. However, this butterfly is still declining and, as such, continues to be a priority species for conservation efforts. From The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) (2007 review).
The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.
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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