Volume 10, Plate XV / Entomology (Insects)

Pearl-Bordered & Dark Green Fritillaries

Melitæa Euphrosyne & Argynnis Aglaia

1. Dark Green Fritillary. Very like the high brown fritillary above but usually paler, its true distinction lies beneath, where the wings, especially the hind pair, are a fine yellowish-green set with scattered silver spots and bands, lacking any row of eyes. Its caterpillar feeds on dog’s violet, and this rather plentiful species ranges through southern England and the middle and northern districts of Scotland.
2. Pearl-Bordered Fritillary. Spanning eighteen to twenty-two lines, its reddish-yellow wings are streaked with black and bordered by triangular points enclosing round spots; beneath, the hind wings bear large silvery spots and a row of silver triangles edged with black. Its black spiny caterpillar feeds on violets, and the double-brooded butterfly is spread over the whole island, from southern England to the northern counties of Scotland.