Violets

[Eris]

We have lots of violets growing along our lane.

But I am thinking they might be sweet violets rather than the dog violets, am I right in assuming that the sweet violet is not used as a larval food plant whereas the dog violet is?

Thanks

[Cotswold Cockney]

In captivity at least, both Violets are used when rearing various Frits. Are you certain of which is which?

[NickB]

It is certainly interesting to pose the question: "If there are violets present, where have all the butterflies that might feed on them gone?"
In Cambridgeshire, for instance, we have no colonies of Dark Green Frits (or any other apart from the odd Silver-Washed!) yet Dog Violets abound! Of course we USED to have DGF's and we certainly have the type of habitat they would use - but nothing to recolonise them!
N

[Eris]

Well I've been out studying and I think the ones in the lane are dog violets, but the ones in my corner plot of the garden are definitely sweet violets as they have a smell.

I haven't seen any frits in the area ( except some silver washed in a wood about half a mile away) but that does not mean there aren't any as its only in the last year or so I have started to really notice what butterflies we do have around here, and no one else seems at all interested. I haven't really studied what is out in our lanes, just been concentrating on what we have on our property.

[Susie]

Sounds like you have an exciting summer ahead of you, Eris.

[chitin]

Reared some Queen of Spain Frtillaries last year. They would not touch Violets although this is always given as the foodplant. The were supplied on Pansy so I continued with it so I suppose they would only eat what they were started on.

[Eris]

Well I got the books out and the ones in the lane are dog violets for sure. I also went and checked out the wood where I saw one silver washed last year and found it has a really good load of violets in flower so hope to go back later in the year and have a really good frit hunt.