Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)
Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)
Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)
Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)
Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)
Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)

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Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)


Photo © Peter Eeles
FamilyNymphalidae
SubfamilyNymphalinae
GenusEuphydryas
Speciesaurinia
Authority(Rottemburg, 1775)
English NameMarsh Fritillary
European Red List 2010Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2010Least Concern (LC)
European Red List 2025Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2025Least Concern (LC)
Habitats DirectiveHD II
Bern ConventionBC II
CITES

Description

The Marsh Fritillary occurs in very different types of habitat, like moist, sheltered grasslands, along the edges of raised bogs and on dry, calcareous grasslands. The foodplants are Devil’s-bit Scabious (Succisa pratense), Small Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria), Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis), and teasels (Dipsacus spp.). The eggs are laid in large clumps under the leaves. The caterpillars spin a substantial nest between the leaves of the foodplants, feeding in it, and also hibernating communally there. However, later they are solitary, and look for places deep in the vegetation in which to pupate. The Marsh Fritillary has one brood a year.

Distribution

Albania / Andorra / Austria / Belarus / Belgium / Belgium: Flanders (Possibly Present) / Belgium: Wallonia / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bulgaria / Croatia / Czechia / Denmark / Estonia / Finland / France / France: Mainland / Germany / Greece / Greece: Mainland / Hungary / Ireland / Italy / Italy: Mainland / Latvia / Liechtenstein / Lithuania / Luxembourg / North Macedonia / Montenegro / Netherlands (Regionally Extinct) / Poland / Portugal / Portugal: Mainland / Romania / European Russia / Serbia / Serbia: Serbia / Serbia: Kosovo / Slovakia / Slovenia / Spain / Spain: Mainland / Sweden / Switzerland / European Türkiye / Ukraine / United Kingdom / United Kingdom: Great Britain / United Kingdom: Northern Ireland / United Kingdom: Gibraltar /

Larval Foodplants

#OrderFamilyGenusSpeciesVernacular NameLink
1AsteralesMenyanthaceaeMenyanthestrifoliataBogbean
2DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeCephalarialeucantha
3DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeDipsacusfullonumWild Teasel
4DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeKnautiaarvensisField Scabious
5DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeLoniceraarborea
6DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeLoniceracaprifoliumPerfoliate Honeysuckle
7DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeLoniceraetrusca
8DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeLoniceraimplexa
9DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeLonicerapericlymenumHoneysuckle
10DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeLonicerapericlymenum ssp. hispanica
11DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeScabiosaatropurpureaSweet Scabious
12DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeScabiosacolumbariaSmall Scabious
13DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeScabiosaochroleuca
14DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeSuccisapratensisDevil's-bit Scabious
15DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeValerianaangustifolia
16DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeValerianadioicaMarsh Valerian
17DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeValerianaexcelsa ssp. sambucifolia
18DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeValerianaofficinalisCommon Valerian
19DipsacalesCaprifoliaceaeValerianarubra
20GentianalesGentianaceaeGentianaGentians
21GentianalesGentianaceaeGentianaacaulisKoch's Gentian
22GentianalesGentianaceaeGentianaacaulis ssp. acaulis
23GentianalesGentianaceaeGentianaalpina
24GentianalesGentianaceaeGentianaasclepiadeaWillow Gentian
25GentianalesGentianaceaeGentianaclusii
26GentianalesGentianaceaeGentianacruciata
27GentianalesGentianaceaeGentianalutea
28LamialesPlantaginaceaePlantagoPlantains
29LamialesPlantaginaceaePlantagolanceolataRibwort Plantain