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Wingspan Male: 69 - 76mm Female: 73 - 80mm

Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia ar-GIN-iss PA-fee-uh Linnaeus, 1758 Ref: 1608

Superfamily: Papilionoidea Family: Nymphalidae Subfamily: Argynninae Genus: Argynnis Subgenus:   Species: paphia Forms: valesina (Esper, 1798)

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

This butterfly is our largest fritillary and gets its name from the beautiful streaks of silver found on the underside of the wings. The bright orange male is quite distinctive as it flies powerfully along woodland rides, pausing only briefly to feed or investigate anything with an orange hue that could be a potential mate. The male has four distinctive black veins on its forewings that contain special “androconial” scales that are used in courtship. These veins are known as “sex brands”. The female is paler than the male, has rounder wings and more-prominent spots.

Form: valesina

A spectacular form of this butterfly, known as valesina, occurs in a small percentage of females, primarily in the larger colonies in the south of England, where the orange-brown colouring is replaced with a deep olive-green. The legendary lepidopterist, Frederick William Frohawk, was so taken with this form, that he named his only daughter after it. This form is quite distinctive in flight, looking like an overgrown Ringlet, and has the common name of the “Greenish Silver-washed Fritillary”.

	Distribution

The Silver-washed Fritillary is found in Ireland, Wales and in England south of Cumbria. It is absent from Scotland.

	Annual Cycle

There is a single generation each year, with the butterfly on the wing from late June to the end of August.

	Habitat

This butterfly is most-commonly found in woodland where the larval foodplant, Common Dog-violet, grows on the woodland floor. The butterfly can also be found flying along lanes and more-open countryside in some areas. Both deciduous and coniferous woodland is used – the presence of this butterfly is only limited by the presence of nectar sources and larval foodplant.

	Larval Foodplants

The primary larval foodplant is Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana).

	Nectar Sources

Adults feed primarily on Bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.). Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica), Knapweeds (Centaurea spp.), Privet (Ligustrum vulgare), Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), Thistles (Cirsium spp. and Carduus spp.) and Water Mint (Mentha aquatica) are also used.

	Imago

The adults spend much of their time in the woodland canopy where they feed on aphid honeydew. However, they often descend to nectar on Bramble blossom and Thistle flowers – two of their favourite nectar sources.

The courtship flight of this butterfly is one of the most spectacular of all the British species. The female flies in a straight line while the male continuously loops under, in front and then over the top of the female. With the courtship flight over, the pair lands on a convenient platform where the male showers the female in scent scales. The male then draws the female’s antennae over the sex brand and mating subsequently takes place.

Photo © Vince Massimo 08-Jul-2008	Photo © Vince Massimo 12-Jul-2006	Photo © Gwenhwyfar 22-Jun-2008	Photo © Pete Eeles 27-Jun-2004
Photo © Pete Eeles 08-Jul-2005	Photo © Pete Eeles 25-Jun-2004	Photo © Pete Eeles 25-Jun-2008	Photo © Pete Eeles 10-Jul-2009
Photo © geniculata 28-Jun-2009	Photo © geniculata	Photo © geniculata 15-Jul-2009	Photo © geniculata 05-Jul-2008
Silver-washed fritillary taken on 08 08 2009. Sezar Hikmet Photo © sahikmet	Photo © Clive 26-Jun-2010

Form: valesina

Photo © Paul	Photo © geniculata 05-Jul-2008	Photo © Tony Wootton	Photo © Tony Wootton
Photo © Simon Crampin	Photo © David Newland	Photo © geniculata 08-Jul-2006	Photo © geniculata 05-Jul-2008
Photo © geniculata 15-Jul-2009	Photo © geniculata	Photo © geniculata 15-Jul-2009	Photo © Jules Cross 05-Jul-2009
Photo © geniculata	Photo © Gruditch 06-Jul-2008

	Aberrations

Description to be completed

Photo © Gwenhwyfar 12-Jul-2009	Photo © Pete Eeles 02-Jul-2009	Photo © Simon Crampin	Photo © Gruditch 05-Jul-2009
Photo © Colin Baker 05-Jul-2009	Photo © Matthew Oates 14-Jul-2009	Photo © Matthew Oates 15-Jul-2009	Photo © knightct
Silver washed fritillary bilateral gynandromorph Southwaterwoods 07/07/2010 Photo © Susie	Silver washed fritillary aberration 1 -Southwater Woods - 05/07/2010-Susie Milbank Photo © Susie	Silver washed fritillary aberration 2 -Southwater Woods - 05/07/2010-Susie Milbank Photo © Susie	Silver washed fritillary aberration 3 -Southwater Woods - 05/07/2010-Susie Milbank Photo © Susie
Silver washed fritillary aberration 1 -Southwater Woods - 07/07/2010-Susie Milbank Photo © Susie	Silver washed fritillary aberration 2 -Southwater Woods - 07/07/2010-Susie Milbank Photo © Susie	Silver washed fritillary bilateral gynandromorph - Southwater Woods-07/07/2010 - Susie Milbank Photo © Susie

	Ovum

Egg-laying females can be seen flying over the woodland floor searching out the larval foodplant, Common Dog-violet. They will sometimes alight on the woodland floor and crawl among the vegetation to determine the suitability of the site. If a suitable location is found, then the female flies to a nearby tree trunk and lays a single egg in a chink on the tree bark and several eggs may be laid on the same tree. These are typically laid on the moss-covered north-facing side of the tree and between 1 and 2 metres from the ground. It is believed that such a location provides a suitable “microclimate” for the overwintering larva.

Photo © Reg Fry

Photo © Reg Fry

Photo © geniculata 09-Jul-2009

	Larva

The egg hatches in around 2 weeks. The larva, having eaten part of its eggshell, immediately moves into a crevice in the bark and spins a silk pad on which it hibernates. The following spring, the larva descends the tree trunk to the woodland floor in search of its first meal of violets. Larvae feed intermittently during the day on the most-tender leaves and shoots.

The larva enjoys basking in sunlight and will wander away from the foodplant to find a suitable place to bask, such as on leaf litter. There are 4 moults in total.

Photo © Pete Eeles 07-May-2004	Photo © Pete Eeles 10-May-2004	Photo © Pete Eeles 20-May-2004	Photo © Pete Eeles 28-May-2004
Photo © Pete Eeles 28-May-2006	Photo © Pete Eeles 29-May-2008	Photo © Reg Fry

	Pupa

The pupa is formed head down beneath a leaf, or twig of a tree or shrub, attached by the cremaster, and resembles a shrivelled leaf. This stage lasts between 2 and 3 weeks, depending on temperature.

Photo © Mikhail	Photo © Pete Eeles 29-May-2004	Photo © Pete Eeles 29-May-2004	Photo © Pete Eeles 29-May-2008
Photo © Pete Eeles 31-May-2004

	Similar Species

Dark Green Fritillary

Description to be completed

High Brown Fritillary

Description to be completed

Queen of Spain Fritillary

Description to be completed

	Videos

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	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
	Alner's Gorse, Ashclyst Forest, Aylesbeare Common, Bentley Wood, Bookham Common, Bovey Valley Woodlands, Clanger Wood, Hembury Woods, Lower Woods, Pamber Forest, Quoditch Moor Nature Reserve, Roudsea Wood NNR, Whitbarrow NNR
	Alice Holt Forest, Backside Common, Crab Wood, East Poldens Reserves, Ebbor Gorge, Friary Wood, Glenarm, Lord's Wood, Moor Copse, Somerford Common, Wyre Forest
	Binsted Wood, Black Park, Bowdown Woods, Bunny's Hill, Chaddesley Woods, Lyme Regis Undercliff, Noar Hill
	Draycott Sleights, Fontmell Down, Stockbridge Down, Tucking Mill, West Yatton Down
	Moors Valley Country Park
Not rated	Andrew's Wood, Angmering Park Estate, Armstrong Wood Nature Reserve, Ashampstead Common, Avon Heath Country Park, Bentley Station Meadow, Bernwood Forest, Betty Daw's Wood, Blackmoor Copse, Botley Wood, Box Hill Woods, Brackett's Coppice, Browns Folly, Buckland Wood, Cabilla Woods, Carpenters Down Wood, Clatworthy Reservoir, Coed Allt Fedw, Croes Robert Wood, Devil's Spittleful and Rifle Range, Duncliffe Woods, Dunsdon NNR, Dunsford Meadow, Earl's Hill, Ebernoe Common and Butcherland, Feystown, Fifehead Wood, Garston Wood, Gelli-hir Wood, Great Torrington Commons, Green Lane Wood, Greenscombe Woods, Grovely Wood, Haldon Butterfly Walk, Haldon Woods, Heddon Valley, Hethfelton Wood, Hod Hill, Holway Woods, Homefield Wood, Hookheath Meadows, Kingcombe Meadows, Kingcombe Redholm, Kingcombe Stones, Langford Heathfield, Lea and Pagets Wood, Leigh Woods, Little Breach, Lough Bunny, Lydlinch Common, Monkwood, Mount Fancy Reserve, New Bridge, Norbury Park, Nupend Wood, Oaken Wood, Oxwich, Park Corner Heath, Pentaloe Glen, Piddles Wood, Plymbridge Woods, Powerstock Common, Ranmore Woods, Shapwick Heath, Shutts Copse, Slieve Gullion Forest Park, Southwater Woods, Sovell Down, Strawberry Banks, Stubhampton Bottom, Tadnoll, The Knapp and Papermill, Thurlbear Quarrylands, Tickenham Ridge, Tring Park, Tudeley Woods RSPB Reserve, Ubley Warren, Vann lake, Wallis Wood, Walters Copse, Warburg Reserve, Watersmeet, Wendover Woods, West Down, White Rocks, Whiteley Pastures, Whitford Burrows, Witch Lodge Fields, Woodside

	Conservation Status

The status of the Silver-washed Fritillary in the British Isles is relatively-stable when compared with other species. However, this delightful woodland fritillary is still a species of conservation concern.

UK BAP Status	Distribution Trend	Population Trend
Species of Conservation Concern

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 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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