Dark Green Fritillary (Argynnis aglaja)

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2009 photos highlighted in yellow. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.

18040_male_Isere_11Jul09 12601_male_Isere_11Jul08 7827_male?_Hautes Alpes_3Jul07
18301_male_Isere_13Jul09 18345_male_Isere_13Jul09 13625_female_Lozere_21Aug08
   
05_19-07_female_Hants, UK_3Jul05    

Reasonably common across France, and commonly found at altitude, often in great numbers. It can be differentiated from the High Brown Fritillary (A. adippe) by the convex edges to the forewing (slightly concave in adippe), and from the Niobe Fritillary (A. niobe) which tends to be more lightly marked, although the undersides of each of the three species are quite different and easily distinguishable. In some textbooks aglaja is spelt aglaia.

 

18040: a male puddling, the forewings held back in a pose that seems normal for aglaia when puddling. Altitude 1120m.

12601: a very fresh male puddling. The angle looks slightly odd, maybe I should have been further forward. Altitude 1120m.

7827: a male, based on the lighter markings, the albeit quite light sex brands on v2 and v3, and the just-visible body. Not 100% certain, though. Altitude 2100m.

18301:  a male puddling, Altitude 1120m.

18345: a male puddling, another attempt to catch the beautiful green colouring, but the light was rather too bright. Altitude 1120m.

13625: a female, based on body shape, heavier markings and greater basal suffusion. Altitude 1200m.

05_19-07: an old photo of a very heavily marked and suffused female. It actually looked like this in real life. I have seen females like this on a few subsequent occasions.

 

18040_male_Isere_11Jul09

 

12601_male_Isere_11Jul08

 

7827_female_Hautes Alpes_3Jul07

 

18301_male_Isere_13Jul09

 

18345_male_Isere_13Jul09

 

13625_female_Lozere_21Aug08