Spotted Fritillary (melitaea didyma)
2008 photos highlighted green. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 6554_male_Var_6Jun07 | 12995_male_Valais, Switzerland_15Jul08 | 2890_male_Var_22Jul06 |
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| 5931_sex?_Var_27May07 | 1405_female_Var_1Jun06 | 5484_pair_Var_15May07 |
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| 8951_female_Hautes Pyrenees_8Aug07 | 9393_female_Var_30Aug07 | 13733_female_Vaucluse_23Aug08 |
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| 9394_female_Var_30Aug07 |
A very common, especially in the south, and extremely variable fritillary. The male is usually a strong shade of orange-red but can be almost brick red. The female is more suffused greyish and more heavily marked. Most, if not all, of the shots are of the form meridionalis, which is the normal form in southern Europe, characterised in the male by the fiery red colour and strongly crescented black uph submarginal spots which are not attached to the marginal band, and generally cleaner feel. The female can occur in darker forms especially so at altitude. Looking at 8951, 1405 and 9393, it is hard to believe they are all the same species.
6554: a beautifully marked male of the form meridionalis, the strong black borders contrasting well with the bright red-orange of this fresh specimen. Altitude 220m.
12995: a male, even more lightly marked than 6554. Altitude 1700m.
2890: a male underside, a beautiful combination of cream and orange markings, with strong submarginal black crescents matching the upperside pattern.
5931: very limited black markings, looking quite isolated on the white background, together with limited orange bands. I cannot tell what sex it is. Altitude 780m.
1405: a heavily-suffused dark form of the female, unusually so as the altitude was only 185m. Compare with 9393 which is a more typical female of this altitude and locality.
5484: a mating pair, with the female in the foreground. This is quite typical of the markings in this locality. Altitude 340m.
8951: a female, demonstrating the incredible variability of this species, especially in the female. Altitude 1600m.
9393: a female, naturally and unusually pale, not through wear. This is reflected (literally!) in the underside 9394. Altitude 780m.
13733: another very typical female, very similar to 9393. Altitude 750m.
9394: the underside of 9393, as delicately marked as the upperside. Fabulous light orange markings on a pale cream base. Altitude 780m.
12995_male_Valais, Switzerland_15Jul08
8951_female_Hautes Pyrenees_8Aug07
