 Wingspan
Male: 35 - 41mm
Female: 38 - 44mm |
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Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
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Boloria selene
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Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 |
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Ref: 1600 |
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| Superfamily: | Papilionoidea |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Subfamily: | Argynninae |
| Genus: | Boloria |
| Subgenus: | |
| Species: | selene |
| Subspecies: | selene (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) | | | insularum (Harrison, 1937) |
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| Male |
Male Underside |
Female |
Female Underside |
The Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary is a delightful butterfly found in discrete colonies. Patrolling males can be seen flying a couple of feet from the ground, alternating a burst of rapid wing beats with a short glide, searching out freshly-emerged females in the surrounding scrub. The wing pattern, however, makes the adult butterfly difficult to follow in flight, it being much easier to observe this species when it is basking or nectaring on flowers of Bugle and other plants. This butterfly, like the Pearl-bordered Fritillary, gets its name from the series of "pearls" that run along the outside edge of the underside of the hindwing. The two species may be seen together at certain sites, although the Pearl-bordered Fritillary emerges a couple of weeks before the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and generally appears much paler as a result. Subspecies: selene This subspecies occurs throughout the range of this species, with the exception of north-west Scotland. Subspecies: insularum This subspecies is found in north-west Scotland and is somewhat brighter in colour than the subspecies selene.
This butterfly is found in discrete colonies containing anything between a couple of dozen and 100 adults at peak. This species is found throughout Scotland and Wales, and in the western and southern counties of England. It is absent from Ireland.
This butterfly first emerges in south-west England, where it may be seen from the beginning of May. This species emerges in the second half of May in other parts of England, and does not make an appearance in Scotland until June. The early emergence of the species in south-west England gives rise to a partial second brood there, which appears in August. Subspecies: selene 
Subspecies: insularum 
Most English colonies are found in open areas within deciduous woodland, such as woodland clearings. These colonies are generally small, consisting of a few dozen adults at most, and this butterfly is also relatively-sedentary with only a limited capacity for colonising new areas. Colonies in the north are also found in more exposed situations such as marshland and moorland. These are larger colonies of up to 100 individuals, typically spread across extensive areas of land and butterflies in these colonies are relatively-mobile as a result. In Cornwall, colonies occur on moorland and cliffs. At all sites damp areas are preferred, where the foodplants grow particularly vigorously.
The main larval foodplants are Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana) and Marsh Violet (Viola palustris).
The main nectar source is Bugle (Ajuga reptans). Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scriptus), Dandelion (Taraxacum agg.), Hawkweeds (Hieracium/Hypochoeris), Heather (Calluna vulgaris / Erica spp.), Thistles (Cirsium spp.) and Thyme (Thymus polytrichus) are also used.
The male butterfly can be seen patrolling low over the breeding sites in search of a mate. When a virgin female is found, the pair quickly mate and generally remain hidden low down in vegetation. Egg-laying females are easy to follow as they flutter slowly and deliberately low down over vegetation, searching out suitable areas of foodplant on which to lay. Both sexes are avid nectar feeders, and can be seen at flowers of Bugle, Buttercup, Bird's-foot-trefoil, Wood Spurge, Ragged-robin and other plants. Subspecies: selene Subspecies: insularum
Description to be completed
Eggs are laid singly and are initially straw-coloured, becoming grey prior to hatching. They are typically laid on the underside of a leaf of the foodplant, but may also be laid on surrounding vegetation. There is evidence that females will drop eggs while in flight, but only where the female has detected the presence of the foodplant. This stage lasts around 2 weeks.
The larva eats its eggshell on emerging and feeds by day. Unlike the larvae of its close cousin, the Pearl-bordered Fritillary, larvae of the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary tend to avoid direct sunlight when not feeding. This makes them particularly difficult to locate, since they are never found basking on dead bracken or leaf litter. The larvae do, however, leave distinct crescents where they have fed on the heart-shaped leaves of their foodplant. After moulting for the third time, the larva enters hibernation, emerging in the spring to complete its growth. There are 4 moults in total.
The pupa is formed head-down in leaf litter, attached by the cremaster. The stage lasts between 2 and 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 |
No videos are currently available for this species.
Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below. |
 | Dinas Dinlle Sand Dunes, Hutton Roof Crags, Park Corner Heath, Warton Crag |  | Allt Mhuic Nature Reserve, Bentley Wood, Cambus O'May, Crook Peak, Glasdrum Wood, Latterbarrow, Priddy Mineries, Quoditch Moor Nature Reserve |  | East Prawle coast, Oaken Wood |  | |  | Dolebury Warren, Pamber Forest | | Not rated | Aberbargoed Grasslands, Aberfoyle Wildlife Site, Ariundle Wood, Ashclyst Forest, Bicton Common, Birkhill forest, Blackadon, Bovey Valley Woodlands, Brackett's Coppice, Breney Common, Cannock Chase, Cashel, Clatworthy Reservoir, Coed Allt Fedw, Craigellachie National Nature Reserve, Craigower Hill, Drumpelier Country Park, Dunsford Meadow, Earl's Hill, East Budleigh Common, Eyarth Rocks, Fen Bog, Flatropers Wood, Glen Doll Forest, Glen Fionnlighe, Glen Moss, Glen Ogle cycle track, Great Torrington Commons, Greenscombe Woods, Haddon Moor, Haldon Butterfly Walk, Haldon Woods, Heddon Valley, Hembury Woods, Inversnaid, Keltneyburn, Kenfig Pool, Kilvey Hill, Kingcombe Meadows, Kingcombe Redholm, Kingcombe Stones, Langford Heathfield, Leighton Moss, Little Drum Wood, Llanymynech Rocks, Loch an Eilean, Loch Ardinning, Loch of Aboyne, Lydford Old Railway, Lydlinch Common, Lynachlaggan Birchwood, Mabie Forest, Morrone Birkwood, Mount Fancy Reserve, New Bridge, Oxwich, Powerstock Common, Toads Hole, Tyndrum Community Woodlands, Ubley Warren, Watersmeet, Welsh Moor, West Down, West Hook Cliffs, Whitbarrow NNR, Wyre Forest |
Despite some stability in the west and north, this species has suffered a long-term decline in both distribution and population. The cessation of coppicing in woodlands, which creates the right habitat for the adult and that encourages vigorous growth of the foodplant, is believed to be a primary cause of the decline. This species is therefore 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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