Queen of Spain fritillary
Issoria lathonia
Recognise!
The most prominent characteristics of this butterfly are the large silver, more or less rectangular spots on the underside of the hindwings. Those are a distinctive feature of this species. The Queen of Spain fritillary is part of the brightly coloured group of the Nymphalidae, also called "four-footed butterflies".
Did you know?
The Queen of Spain fritillary is a characteristic species of arable land, stubble fields and nutrient-poor grasslands. If the larval foodplants are present (different species of violets), he can also be observed in urbanised areas. The grown butterfly himself is not very picky and feeds on a multitude of flowers. The Queen of Spain fritillary is a migratory species and is able to travel over large distances.
Source: "Schmetterlinge entdecken, beobachten, bestimmen. Die 150 häufigsten tagaktiven Arten Mitteleuropas.“ Seggewiße & Wymann, Haupt Verlag.
Photo: C. Junck, F. Schoos