A Dark Variety of Silver-washed Fritillary in Bjerge skov south of Horsens.

Argynnis paphia: Silver-washed Fritillary/ Kejserkåbe; 
dark variety :  Argynnis paphia f. valesina

an orange male meets the valesina

In the month of  July the Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)  is easy to observe in Bjerge/Bjerre skov, a forest south of Horsens. On this day in mid July there were numbers of the pretty orange male flying around among the brambles. The Danish name is Emperor's Robe, and the beautiful deep orange colour with the spots and stripes would fit an emperor very well.

But suddenly came a dark variety, which we had never seen before.There was even a date between an orange male and a dark silver-washed female upon the road. 

This dark variety was named by a famous English lepidopterist Frederick William Frohawk, who named it after his daughter Valezina and called it Argynnis paphia f. valesina.  This spectacular form occurs in a small percentage of females. It is quite distinctive in flight looking like an overgrown ringlet and has the common name of the Greenish Silver-washed Fritillary.

Argynnis paphia f. valesina

Frohawk was the author of Natural History of British Butterflies (1914), The Complete Book of British Butterflies (1934) and Varieties of British Butterflies (1938).  At seven he spotted and caught a rare Pale Clouded Yellow butterfly.  In ab. 1880 Frohawk concentrated on illustration and obtained his first commission for illustrating The Field. Frohawk was encouraged in his work by Lord Walter Rotschild, who later bought his water-colours of butterflies His butterfly collections are now part of the Rothschild collection in the Natural History Museum at London.

Argynnis paphia f. valesina

Silver-washed Fritillary/Kejserkåbe

The Silver-washed fritillary /Kejserkåbe in Denmark:
The spread of the Silver-washed fritillary is somewhat dispersed in Denmark. It has disappeared from large parts of Jutland and Funen. It was earlier widespread in hardwoods in all parts of Denmark.


Problems: The silver-washed fritillary is found in forest glades - and such glades should not be either drained, fertilized or sprayed with pesticides - but hay harvesting and extensive grazing during period would be beneficial. Livestock in the forest is also beneficial,since it brings light and warmth and improved conditions for the violet, which is the host plant of the Silver-washed fritillary.

In the last time of their flight period the Silver-washed fritillary flies often to other habitats, sometimes to residential areas.

The Silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia)  is on the Danish red list, but it is neither protected or listed in Denmark.

Source: Fugle og Natur, Michael Stoltze; British wikipedia, 
photo: Bjerge/Bjerre skov July 2014: grethe bachmann     

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary/Brunlig perlemorsommerfugl

Clossiana selene



This Fritillary's wing span is 33-44 mm. It is recognizable by the brown smears on the underside of the back wing and the striking dark and V-shaped spots on the seam of the back wing. In the almost similar Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Clossiana euphrosyne) are the smears reddy and the small spots at the seam of the back wing are brick red and triangular and not blackish brown and V-shaped. Seen from the upperside it is easily mistaken for other small fritillaries.

The spot pattern of the upperside varies and in rare cases is the basic colour white-yellow instead of orange-brown. The smears of the underside of the back wing varie from almost black till warm brown and the V-shaped seam-spots might be more or less sharp.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary flies in 2 generations from late May till mid July and again from late July till late August. Most numerous in 1. generation. Its habitats are meadows, pastures, hængesækmoser (special moors where plants are intertwined above water) and heath moors and small glades or broad road sides in forests. It is widespread and common locally all over the country (Denmark). The species seem however to be in a strong decline where agriculture and foresting are most intensive.

It overwinters as a half-grown caterpillar among withered foliage. The caterpillar's fodderplants are Viola-species. The flight is regular and sometimes hovering. It is attracted to numerous flowers, but Kærtidsel Marsh thistle (Circium palustre ) is a favourite.

Protection of the species: It thrives well upon meadows and moist pastures in woods and in small glades. Establishing of coppicing, where many small parcels are cleared for tree-growth with 15-30 years intervals would be good for the species. Besides should wood-meadows and moist pastures in woods be preserved.

Source: Michael Stoltze, Dagsommerfugle i Danmark, 1997


photo Gammel Ry, Midtjylland 21. August 2010: grethe bachmann

Queen of Spain Fritillary/Storplettet perlemorsommerfugl

Issoria lathonia

A beautiful butterfly, like a piece of jewelry.

Queen of Spain Fritillary is easy to recognize with its mother of pearl spots on the backside of the wings and its shape of wings. The wing span is 35-48 mm, the male is often smaller, sometimes only 30 mm wing span. The spots on the upperside can be larger and flow together.

Its flight time is continuous from beginning of May till late September in three generations, which are not keenly segregated from one another. Its habitat is mostly flowering, unfertilized areas in light soil, but also in farm land with fallow fields and more clayey soil. It is wandering and often met outside its breeding grounds. It overwinters as a half-grown or grown larvae among withered plants. The fodder plant of the larvae is pansy, Viola tricolor and Viola arvenses and sometimes garden pansy. Other Viola-species are rarely used.

The flight is quick and unsettled and the butterfly is often floating above the vegetation. The species are often sunbathing upon the surface of the earth with outspread wings, or sitting upon leaves with V-placed wings in warm weather. It seeks eagerly, but shortly to many various flowers. The species can migrate above 100 km or more. The migrating is most distinct in 2. or 3 generation late summer, but the migrating has not been explained in every detail.

The frequency of this butterfly in Denmark is varied from year to year and from place to place. The species have during decades been few in numbers or disappeared completely in big parts of the southern Denmark, but it had a rise in these areas since 1990, maybe caused by the larger number of fallow fields in the agriculture.

Protection of the species: As mentioned above the living conditions of Queen of Spain Fritillary would be improved by a growing number of fallow fields in the agriculture.

NB 2008: Unfortunately the living conditions of Queen of Spain Fritillary have been reduced caused by the falling numbers of fallow fields in the agriculture.

photo ⓒ July 2008 Hammer Bakker, Nordjylland: grethe bachmann