Pearl-bordered Fritillary

This is one of the earliest fritillaries to emerge and can be found as early as April in woodland clearings or rough hillsides with bracken.

It flies close to the ground, stopping regularly to feed on spring flowers such as Bugle. It can be distinguished from the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary by the two large silver 'pearls' and a row of seven outer 'pearls' on the underside hind wing, and also the red (as opposed to black) chevrons around the outer pearls and the small central spot on the hind wing.

The butterfly was once very widespread but has declined rapidly in recent decades, and is now highly threatened in England and Wales.

Size and Family

Family: Fritillaries
Size: Medium
Wing Span Range (male to female): 44-47mm

Conservation status

Section 41 species of principal importance under the NERC Act in England
Listed on Section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016
Scottish Biodiversity List
GB Red List (2022): Vulnerable
Butterfly Conservation priority: High
European status: Not threatened
Protected under Schedule 5 of the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act (for sale only)

Caterpillar Foodplants

The most widely used foodplant is Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana) although it can use other violets such as Heath Dog-Violet (V. canina) and in the north, Marsh Violet (V. palustris).

Lifecycle

Habitat

Three main habitats are used: woodland clearings, usually in recently coppiced or clear-felled woodland; well-drained habitats with mosaics of grass, dense bracken and light scrub and open deciduous wood pasture in Scotland.

In all habitats, it requires abundant foodplants growing in short, sparse vegetation, where there is abundant leaf litter.

Distribution

Countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
Once very widespread across Britain, the Pearl-bordered Fritillary remains widespread only in the northern half of Scotland, south Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, and the woodlands of South East England.
Abundance trend: -64% (1976-2019)
Distribution trend: -88% (1979-2019)