Marsh fritillary

Euphydryas aurinia
Upperside
Underside
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Euphydryas
Species:	E. aurinia
Binomial name
Euphydryas aurinia (Rottemburg, 1775)
Synonyms
List Papilio artemis Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 Papilio maturna Esper, 1777 Papilio lye Bergsträsser, 1780 Papilio koloswarensis Piller & Mitterpacher, 1783 Papilio matutina Thunberg, 1791 Papilio merope De Prunner, 1798 Melitaea brunnea Tutt, 1896 Melitaea ochrea Tutt, 1896 Melitaea virgata Tutt, 1896 Melitaea nana Rehfons, 1910 Melitaea turbida Gélin & Lucas, 1912 Melitaea unipuncta Kiefer, 1916 Melitaea hoffmanni Kiefer, 1916 Melitaea semifuscata Cabeau, 1919 Melitaea epimolpadia Reverdin, 1919 Melitaea didyma Heinrich, 1923 Melitaea rectiangula Cabeau, 1924 Melitaea catherini Le Charles, 1924 Melitaea perianthes Cabeau, 1926 Melitaea interligata Derenne, 1926 Melitaea gracilens Cabeau, 1927 Melitaea geminifasciata Cabeau, 1927 Melitaea transversa Cabeau, 1928 Melitaea deficiens Cabeau, 1928 Melitaea leucophana Cabeau, 1928 Melitaea frigescens Verity, 1928 Melitaea moritura Verity, 1928 Melitaea debilisprovincialis Verity, 1928 Melitaea valentini Nitsche, 1928 Melitaea semigriseis Cabeau, 1931 Melitaea tetramelana Cabeau, 1931 Melitaea semigracilens Cabeau, 1931 Melitaea melanoleuca Cabeau, 1932 Melitaea flavofasciata Hackray, 1934 Melitaea insterburgia Braun, 1937 Euphydryas albofasciata Frohawk, 1938 Euphydryas suffusa Frohawk, 1938 Melitaea infra-rectiangula Caruel, 1939 Melitaea ocellata Caruel, 1944 Melitaea arcuata Caruel, 1944 Melitaea commacula Caruel, 1944 Melitaea ligata Caruel, 1944 Melitaea splendida Mauny, 1949

The marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.

E. aurinia is represented by many subspecies. The most widely accepted are:

but the total number of described subspecies is much higher especially in the eastern Palaearctic. The insect may be best considered a superspecies.

Euphydryas aurinia aurinia

Euphydryas aurinia beckeri

Euphydryas aurinia provincialis

This species is widespread in the east Palaearctic ecozone from Ireland in the west to Yakutia in the east, and to north-west China and Mongolia in the south. The marsh fritillary is in decline in Europe and it is one of eleven butterflies covered by the United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan. Within the British Isles, it is more frequent in the south and west.

This species lives in calcareous grassland, in woodland clearings and in damp marshy areas (hence the common name) and in heathy grassland, dominated by tussock forming grasses, including purple moor and rush pastures. These butterflies can reach an elevation of 10–2,200 metres (33–7,218 ft) above sea level.

In the British Isles the marsh fritillary is usually to be found in damp heathy grasslands which are called rhos pastures from the Welsh word rhos meaning heath, but the species does exist in other types of habitats which are drier, like neutral grasslands or dry calcareous grasslands. Small populations may be seen where there is not a lot of the larval food plant present. Small populations can be an important element of the ecology because they can produce lots of mobile individuals which can found other populations. The marsh fritillary is protected under British law. It is listed under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, also the EU Habitats and Species Directive (Annex II).

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Wikipedia