Boloria dia

Last updated

Boloria dia
Nymphalidae - Boloria (Clossiana) dia-001.JPG
Ventral view
Nymphalidae - Boloria (Clossiana) dia.JPG
Dorsal view
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Boloria
Species:
B. dia
Binomial name
Boloria dia
Synonyms
  • Clossiana dia
  • Boloria (Clossiana) dia

Boloria dia, the Weaver's fritillary or violet fritillary, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. The name Weaver's fritillary is in honor of Richard Weaver, an English insect collector who claimed to have obtained the specimen within ten miles of Birmingham around 1820. [1] However, B. dia is very rare in England and the few specimens known from there are thought to be from possibly accidental introductions. [2]

Contents

Description

The adult is a small fritillary with typically chequered orange-brown upperside and a submarginal row of triangles and dots. The forewing is 16–17 mm long. The underside of the hindwing has a distinctive purplish band.

Description in Seitz

A. dia L. (68f) is the smallest Argynnis. Above usually more extended black than the other species; the basal area of the hindwing as a rule quite dark, the marginal area with a row of heavy black dots. The hindwing beneath variegated with purple and bearing silvery spots at the margin, in the median band and at the base. Throughout Central, North and East Europe, also in Anterior Asia eastwards to Mongolia. Specimens with a broad confluent median band are ab. vittata Spul. (= mediofasciata Schultz). In ab. hudaki Aign.,especially plentiful among the second brood, only the narrow median band of the hindwing is reddish yellow, the margin as well as the base being broadly black. — alpina Elw. [ now subspecies B. d. alpina] (Elwes, 1899] (68f) is the form from eastern Central Asia, described from the Altai; the ground-colour is duller, more leather-colour than reddish yellow. — Larva paler or darker grey, with a pale-edged blackish dorsal l ine and a reddish brown side-line; subdorsally there are small light spots in a blackish patch; the spines pale yellow with dark yellow base; in June and from September till April on Violaceae and Rubus, said to feed also on Prunella vulgaris. Pupa brown; on the back with rows of small pointed tubercles. The butterfly in April and May and again from August onward in open places and clearings of woods, flying low and frequently visiting flowers. One finds the sleeping butterfly commonly hanging on flowering heather at night, the underside being admirably adapted to its small flowers. The species does not appear to be rare wherever it occurs, nor ever to be found in large numbers. [3]

Similar species

B. dia differs from the pearl-bordered fritillary in having a sharp angle to its hindwing (readily seen from underside when perched with wings closed). The similar Titania's fritillary has a less sharply-angled hindwing and only occurs at high altitude. [4]

In Europe the larvae feed on Viola species ( Viola odorata , Viola hirta , Viola canina , Viola reichenbachiana , Viola tricolor ), and outside Europe on Prunella vulgaris and Rubus idaeus .

Distribution

Boloria dia is found in Europe, over the Caucasus east across the Palearctic to Mongolia. It is widespread and common across southern France. [4] In Europe it occurs from northern Spain, Italy and Greece to Poland, the Balkans and Turkey. [5] [6] It is not found in Britain.

Subspecies

Etymology

Named in the Classical tradition.Dia ( Greek mythology ) is the wife of Ixion, king of the Lapiths .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meadow brown</span> Species of butterfly

The meadow brown is a butterfly found in the Palearctic realm. Its range includes Europe south of 62°N, Russia eastwards to the Urals, Asia Minor, Iraq, Iran, North Africa and the Canary Islands. The larvae feed on grasses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver-washed fritillary</span> Species of butterfly

The silver-washed fritillary is a common and variable butterfly found over much of the Palearctic realm – Algeria, Europe and across the Palearctic to Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green hairstreak</span> Species of butterfly

The green hairstreak is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pearl-bordered fritillary</span> Species of butterfly

The pearl-bordered fritillary is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae found in Europe and through Russia across the Palearctic to the north of Kazakhstan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark green fritillary</span> Species of butterfly

The dark green fritillary is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. The insect has a wide range in the Palearctic realm - Europe, Morocco, Iran, Siberia, Central Asia, China, Korea, and Japan.

<i>Melitaea diamina</i> Species of butterfly

Melitaea diamina, the false heath fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Boloria chariclea</i> Species of butterfly

Boloria chariclea, the Arctic fritillary or purplish fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the northern parts of the Palearctic and Nearctic realms.

<i>Boloria eunomia</i> Species of butterfly

Boloria eunomia, the bog fritillary or ocellate bog fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Boloria titania</i> Species of butterfly

Boloria titania, the Titania's fritillary or purple bog fritillary, is a butterfly of the subfamily Heliconiinae of the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Melitaea didyma</i> Species of butterfly

Melitaea didyma, the spotted fritillary or red-band fritillary, is a Palearctic butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Melitaea phoebe</i> Species of butterfly

Melitaea phoebe, the knapweed fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the Palearctic realm, except the northernmost locations. It used to include Melitaea telona, recently revalidated as a distinct cryptic species.

<i>Boloria thore</i> Species of butterfly

Boloria thore, the Thor's fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It occurs in damp places in the Alps, Fennoscandia, the south of European Russia, the Urals and east across the Palearctic to Siberia and Japan.

<i>Boloria frigga</i> Species of butterfly

Boloria frigga, the Frigga fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae with a circumboreal distribution. It occurs in bogs and tundra in Northern Europe to the north of 60° N, very locally in more southern locations, as well as in the Urals, Siberia, Northern Mongolia, the Russian Far East, western parts of the United States and Canada.

<i>Boloria freija</i> Species of butterfly

Boloria freija, the Freija fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae with a circumboreal distribution. It occurs in bogs and tundra. Its range includes Northern Europe to the north of 60° N, occasionally more southern locations, the Urals, Siberia, the Russian Far East, mountains of northern Mongolia and Hokkaido, as well as North America, extending in the Rocky Mountains to 35° N.

<i>Boloria polaris</i> Species of butterfly

Boloria polaris, the Polaris fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in northernmost Scandinavia, North America and in Greenland. It is also found in northeastern Russia and across the Palearctic to Chukotka. It is one of only six butterfly species found on Canada's Ellesmere Island.

<i>Boloria pales</i> Species of butterfly

Boloria pales, the shepherd's fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from the Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees through the Alps and Apennine Mountains east to the Balkan, Carpathian Mountains, the Caucasus and central Asia up to western China.

<i>Melitaea varia</i> Species of butterfly

Melitaea varia, the Grisons fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the Alps at heights of 1,500–2,600 m (4,900–8,500 ft), especially in the Swiss cantons Valais, Engadin and Graubünden. It is also found in the Ortler region in South Tyrol, Alpes-Maritimes and Drôme in France, high areas of Tirol in Austria and high areas in the Apennine Mountains such as Abruzzo.

<i>Muschampia proto</i> Species of butterfly

Muschampia proto, the sage skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Morocco, Algeria, the Iberian Peninsula and southern France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twin-spot fritillary</span> Species of butterfly

The twin-spot fritillary is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Boloria selenis</i> Species of butterfly

Boloria selenis is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found from the Volga basin to Japan.

References

  1. Salmon, Michael A. (2000). The Aurelian Legacy. British Butterflies and their Collectors. Harley Books. pp. 133–134.
  2. Eeles, Peter (2002–2012). "Weaver's Fritillary". UK Butterflies. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  3. Adalbert Seitz in Seitz, A. ed. Band 1: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter, 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren)PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  4. 1 2 Gibbons, Roger (2011). "Weaver's Fritillary". Butterflies of France. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  5. Funet.fi
  6. 1 2 Fauna Europaea