British Butterflies

by Alexander Morrison Stewart

The Queen of Spain Fritillary (Argynnis Lathonia), [Plate IV.], Fig. 6.—This is, unfortunately, the rarest of all our Fritillaries; unfortunately, because it is the most beautiful and brilliant. In outline the fore-wing differs from that of the two preceding species, being slightly concave on the outer margin, while the hind-wing bears a slight trace of scalloping. But it is on the under side where all the treasures lie. A row of seven pearl spots adorns the outer margin of the hind-wing; then comes a row of small dark spots, each with a pearl-spot in its centre; then a profusion of large and small glittering patches completes this beautiful wing. The under side of the fore-wing has only three (or sometimes a tiny fourth) pearl spots near the tip. This butterfly is taken occasionally in clover-fields in our south-eastern counties. The specimens taken there are possibly migrants from the Continent.

The caterpillar is dark, with a white line on the back, yellow lines on the sides, and is clothed with short red spines. It may be found on Violas. As this insect is double-brooded on the Continent, it is well to look out for it during the whole summer from May to September.

The Dark Green Fritillary (Argynnis Aglaia), [Plate IV.], Fig. 4.—The only claim this handsome species has to be called green lies in the fact that the under side of the hind-wing has for its ground colour a delightful tawny green. But the main attraction is the lovely rows of pearl spots ornamenting the under side ([Plate X.], Fig. 1); and there are four of these rows. One, and it is perhaps the finest, runs round near the outer margin, and consists of nine gems; the next, a little nearer the body, has eight, and is slightly irregular; the next row has only three, rather widely apart; and the fourth, and last, has also three very small ones quite near the base of the wing. The under sides of the fore-wings have also their pearl spots. Near the outer margin you will find a row with eight of them, beginning boldly near the tip; they gradually fade until the last of the row is barely visible. On some male specimens there are two silvery spots also near the tip, but on other specimens these are absent. The under side of the fore-wing has very little green to show; the tip of the wing is just tinted, and this tint is carried along the costal margin. I have described the under side in some detail, as I have seen it described as having only three rows of spots on the hind-wing, and no pearl spots at all on the fore-wing; and for another reason, I want you always to confirm your captures by a good textbook, as by so doing you will learn some valuable lessons in comparison and observation, and in noting details; and also it will enable you, perhaps, to add some fine variations to your collection.

The caterpillar lives on various species of wild Viola, and may be found on them in the early summer, but as the butterfly has a wide range of distribution, season and locality make it vary a good deal in the time of its appearance. It has been found from the North of Scotland to the South of England. July is the month to look for it. I always find it more abundant near the coast. It is a bold flying species, and often difficult to capture; but in good settled weather I have taken it frequently at rest on thistle-tops at sundown.

The High Brown Fritillary (Argynnis Adippe), [Plate IV.], Fig. 5.—In this and the foregoing we have again two species very easy to confound, and all the more so when we note that stable characters are somewhat hard to find on the upper surface of the wings—in general the ground colour in Adippe is richer and darker, and the outer margin of the fore-wing is not so rounded as in Aglaia, being either straight or very slightly concave. The arrangement of the second row of spots, which runs round near the outer margin of both wings, is different in the two species, but they are very inconstant and even vary in the sexes; so the under side must be again consulted ([Plate X.], Fig. 2). And here we have an unfailing test. In Adippe, on the under side of the hind-wing near the outer margin, there is a row of dark red spots lined internally with black, and in the centre there is a small pearl spot. These eyelike spots are never present in Aglaia. The general green tint, too, of Aglaia is absent in Adippe. The silvery spots on the under side of the fore-wing of Aglaia are rarely to be seen in this species. In some females of Adippe three shadowy spots are visible near the tip. I have never seen these on a male; so we have it that, in the great majority of specimens of Adippe, the under side of the fore-wing is devoid of silvery spots. While Adippe may be fairly common in the South, it is by no means so widely distributed, nor does it range so far north as Aglaia. In Scotland it is unknown.

The caterpillar is dark grey, with a whitish line along the back, and is covered with rust-red spines. It feeds on Viola. The butterfly appears in July.

The Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis Paphia), [Plate IV.], Fig. 3.—This is the largest of our native Fritillaries, and is easily distinguished from the others by an entire absence of the silvery spots so characteristic of this genus. The upper surface of the male is of a warm, orange-brown, streaked and dotted with black on both wings; the under side of the fore-wing is much lighter, the spots on it are smaller, and the tip is marked with olive; the hind-wing under side bears a fine combination of pale olive with faint lavender and silver streaks, while its outer margin is distinctly scalloped. The female is quite different. In it the ground colour of the upper side of the fore-wings is much paler, and the black streaks along the veins are absent. The hind-wings have the same pale tint, but with a more decided tinge of olive, while the under sides of both wings, and especially of the hind ones, are pale olive green, and the scalloping round the outer margin of both wings is more pronounced. In the female variety Valesina, the upper surface has a dark olive ground shading out towards the tip of the fore-wings. This, with the black spots lying on it, gives the butterfly quite a black appearance at a little distance. This variation is mostly found in the New Forest. The butterfly is common in many districts of England, but is rare in Scotland.

The caterpillar is covered with long spines, nearly black, and has a pale line along the back and sides; it feeds on Dog Violet and Wild Raspberry. The chrysalis is rather stout, hangs by the tail, and is greyish, with shining points. The perfect insect is out in July and August.

The Greasy Fritillary (Melitæa aurinia), [Plate IV.], Fig. 9.—This may not seem a pretty or poetical name for a butterfly. Beauty, poetry, and the “fitness of things,” might have suggested a more appropriate title; but, as Dickens has said, “the wisdom of our ancestors is not to be disturbed by unhallowed hands,” and as the technical name is in this instance some compensation, we may have to let it go at that. “Greasy” the butterfly is not, but only looks as if it were, when slightly worn; and, owing to some peculiarity in the arrangement of its scales, this slight wearing is very soon accomplished. Happily it is not a difficult insect to rear, and fine specimens without a suspicion of greasiness in their appearance can thus be had for the cabinet. This butterfly is quite distinct from any other British Fritillary, inasmuch as it has two very distinct ground colours on the upper side of its wings, a rich orange-brown and a pale ochreous yellow. The bands of this latter shade are bordered with dark brown; a reference to the coloured figure will show how these colours are disposed. It is a rather variable species, and is widely distributed. It is found in glens and damp meadows and is generally abundant where found, though local.