Fritillary id please

wildscenes · Post by **wildscenes** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 2:45 pm

Hi all

Taken in France in June 2006. Any ideas? There were heath frits around but is this one of those? I thought I had a European field guide but can't locate it.

TIA

John

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 3:12 pm

I'd go with Male Spotted Fritilary...Melitaea didyma.

Martin.

Roger Gibbons · Post by **Roger Gibbons** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 5:38 pm

I would agree male spotted fritillary (melitaea didyma), almost 100%. There’s nothing else that looks even remotely similar in France. Very nice shot that shows up the white fringes. The males are a beautiful brick-red when fresh, and they can be exceptionally common and very variable, especially the female. I’d guess it was in the south(-east) of France as it looks like the southern form meridionalis and as it was still flying in October.

wildscenes · Post by **wildscenes** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 9:01 pm

Thanks guys. I was searching the web for id (which is how I found this excellent site) and from another site figured it was spotted fritillary but I wasn't convinced from the photo id in the other site. You've confirmed my suspicions.

Many thanks

John