Many butterflies were called 'fritillaries' in times gone by - even the grizzled skipper (once the 'marsh fritillary', if my memory serves me aright). It is often stated that this is because in Latin fritillarius means 'chequerboard', but I don't think that's the case. The word doesn't appear in any of my Latin dictionaries. Fritillus, however, does mean 'dice-box' and it could be that the chequered patterns reminded the early authors of dice.
Guy
ID of butterfly in flight
- Padfield
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Re: ID of butterfly in flight
Guy's Butterflies: https://www.guypadfield.com
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
Re: ID of butterfly in flight
The same 'fritillary' term is used botanically, for plants such as Fritillaria meleagris - the Snake's Head Fritillary, which is associated with damp low-lying meadows around Oxford.
According to the RHS Dictionary of Gardening, the name does indeed derive from fritillus - dice box - referring to either the shape of the capsules or the chequered pattern on the flowers, reminiscent of the traditional decoration on a dice-box.
Mike
According to the RHS Dictionary of Gardening, the name does indeed derive from fritillus - dice box - referring to either the shape of the capsules or the chequered pattern on the flowers, reminiscent of the traditional decoration on a dice-box.
Mike
- Lee Hurrell
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Re: ID of butterfly in flight
Lovely photo, Mike - one of my favourite flowers.
Also, aren't there Fritillaries called chequerboards, or chequerspots in North America?
Cheers
Lee
Also, aren't there Fritillaries called chequerboards, or chequerspots in North America?
Cheers
Lee
To butterfly meadows, chalk downlands and leafy glades; to summers eternal.