| Family | Nymphalidae |
|---|---|
| Subfamily | Nymphalinae |
| Genus | Melitaea |
| Species | trivia |
| Authority | ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) |
| English Name | Lesser Spotted Fritillary |
| European Red List 2010 | Least Concern (LC) |
|---|---|
| EU 27 Red List 2010 | Near Threatened (NT) |
| European Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| EU 27 Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| Habitats Directive | |
| Bern Convention | |
| CITES |
The Lesser Spotted Fritillary occurs on flower-rich, grassy vegetation, in both dry and damp places, and on waste ground. Various mulleins (Verbascum spp.) are used as foodplants, including Aaron’s Rod (Verbascum thapsus), V. densiflorum and V. longifolium. The eggs are laid in batches on the underside of the leaves. The young caterpillars feed, gregariously in a communal web, where they also hibernate. After hibernation, they form smaller groups, and are often seen on the upper surface of the leaves. This species has one or two broods a year, depending on the climatic zone of its flight area.
Albania / Andorra / Austria / Belarus / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bulgaria / Croatia / Czechia (Regionally Extinct) / Greece / Greece: Mainland / Greece: East Aegean Islands / Hungary / Italy / Italy: Mainland / North Macedonia / Moldova / Montenegro / Portugal / Portugal: Mainland / Romania / European Russia / Serbia / Serbia: Serbia / Serbia: Kosovo / Slovakia / Slovenia / Spain / Spain: Mainland / European Türkiye / Ukraine /