Heath Fritillary
by Michelle Meenawong
Title
Heath Fritillary
Artist
Michelle Meenawong
Medium
Photograph - Metal Print
Description
The heath fritillary (Melitaea athalia) is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found throughout the Palaearctic from western Europe to Japan, in heathland, grassland, and in coppiced woodland. Its association with coppiced woodland earned it the name "woodman's follower" in parts of the UK. It is considered a threatened species in the UK and Germany, but not Europe-wide or globally.
Heath fritillaries have a wingspan of 39–47 mm. The upperside is predominantly dark brown and orange brown, with the orange-brown spots delineated by dark brown (along and across the wing veins); there is a white fringe to the wings through which the dark brown extends. The upperside of the body is a similar dark brown to the colour on the wing, and the base of both wings is dark brown. The underside shows bands of red and (off-)white, again with each vein dark brown and each colour delineated by dark brown. The pattern of white spots at the base of the hindwing (visible at rest) is diagnostic for identification.
These wing patterns are very similar to the appearance of Melitaea cinxia. However, the dark brown bands on underside of the wings are more distinct in the health fritillary than in M. cinxia.
A very grateful thank you to the following groups for featuring this picture
Groovy Butterflies
02/06/2019
Bugs Bugs And More Bugs
02/06/2019
MACRO MARVELS
03/29/2019
Uploaded
February 6th, 2019
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