Small pearl-bordered fritillary

Small pearl-bordered fritillary or Silver-bordered fritillary
File:Boloria selene LC0293.jpg
Conservation status
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Boloria
Species:	B. selene
Binomial name
Boloria selene (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)

The small pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria selene), called the silver-bordered fritillary in North America, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago, Illinois is conducting a DNA research experiment on Boloria selene.

Appearance

Similar to pearl-bordered fritillary but has black chevrons on edge of wings, large central black dot on each one and white pearls (compared to 2 of the other species) on the underside.

• Petit collier argenté MHNT CUT 2013 3 21 Sornac Dos.jpg

  Dorsal side

• Petit collier argenté MHNT CUT 2013 3 21 Sornac Ventre.jpg

  △ Ventral Side

Distribution

Widespread across central and northern Europe and through Asia to Korea and also occurs in North America. Range appears stable through much of Europe but declines have been reported in at least nine countries.

Widespread across upland and western Britain, but not found in central, eastern England or Ireland. NBN Gateway distribution profile can be accessed searchnbn.net. Its numbers are declining in England. It occurs in damp, grassy habitats, woodland clearings and moorland. Has also been found in dune slacks and coastal cliffs.

Foodplants and eggs

In the UK this species uses several species of violet as foodplant. In drier areas dog violets are used whilst in wetter areas the foodplant is bog violet (Viola palustris) or marsh violet growing amongst purple moor-grass or tufted hair-grass. They prefer the damper areas more often. They also occur amongst bracken, where this is shading the appropriate violet species.

Typical nectar food plants for adult

• Bramble
• Thistle
• Bugle (Ajuga reptans)

• Boloria.selene.1.jpg

  Dorsal view

• 

  Ventral view

• Butterfly Boloria selene (Linnaeus, 1758).jpg

  Mating

• Britishentomologyvolume5Plate386.jpg

  Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology, Volume 5

• Silver-bordered Fritillaries, Quetico.jpg

  Mating, Ontario, Canada

External links

• Butterfly Conservation website description
• Butterfly Conservation management Fact Sheet
• Bracken for butterflies fact-sheet by Butterfly Conservation