Melitaea parthenoides
Encyclopedia
The Meadow Fritillary is a butterfly
of the Nymphalidae family. Note that the common name Meadow Fritillary, is also used for the North American species Boloria bellona
. It is found in south-western Europe, more specifically on the Iberian Peninsula
, south-western France
, parts of the italian
Alps
and southern and south-western Germany
and a few regions of Switzerland
.
The wingspan
is 28-34 mm. In dry, favourable climates, adults are on wing in two generations, from May to June and from August to September. On high altitudes, there is one generation from June to July.
The larvae feed on Plantago
species, but mainly Plantago lanceolata
.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Nymphalidae family. Note that the common name Meadow Fritillary, is also used for the North American species Boloria bellona
Boloria bellona
The Meadow Fritillary, , is a North American butterfly in the brushfoot family, Nymphalidae. The common name, Meadow Fritillary, is also used for a European butterfly species, Melitaea parthenoides.-Description:...
. It is found in south-western Europe, more specifically on the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, south-western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, parts of the italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
and southern and south-western Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and a few regions of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 28-34 mm. In dry, favourable climates, adults are on wing in two generations, from May to June and from August to September. On high altitudes, there is one generation from June to July.
The larvae feed on Plantago
Plantago
Plantago is a genus of about 200 species of small, inconspicuous plants commonly called plantains. They share this name with the very dissimilar plantain, a kind of banana. Most are herbaceous plants, though a few are subshrubs growing to 60 cm tall. The leaves are sessile, but have a narrow...
species, but mainly Plantago lanceolata
Plantago lanceolata
Plantago lanceolata is a species of genus Plantago known by the common names ribwort plantain, English plantain, and narrowleaf plantain. It is a common weed of cultivated land....
.