www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

It's driving me mad! Yesterday (Friday) I saw a stunningly beautiful fritillary in our 2-acre wildlife garden (limestone) that is near the coast in N Wales.

It was large (red admiral sized), very orange, had rounded back wings with a very slight point in the middle. What puzzled me were the "white" markings all around the wing tips and very light markings in the top corner of the front wing that covered about 1/3 of each wing. It was feeding on Red Valerian.

Any ideas please? Thanks.

This is my first post so need to say "hi" I guess - this forum looks very interesting.

Shot in the dark going on location, season and your description...

A female Dark Green Fritillary ~ where's the Green you may ask ~ part of the complex underside colouring pattern. The females can be very variable in upperside colouration whereas the males appear very similar from most UK locations. Your description could be one of those variable female uppersides.

In my neck of the woods, the Dark Green Fritillary is widespread and common most years on the Limestone Grasslands of the Cotswold Hills. Over it's typical grassland habitat, often windswept, it is also one of the fastest, if not the fastest flyer of all the UK Butterflies. One of my favourites. Some years, the females are very large, larger than any Red Admiral.
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