Silver-washed Fritillary

Argynnis paphia (Linnaeus, 1758)

Status

Description

A medium sized dull golden-brown butterfly with black spots on the upperside. The underside of the hindwing is dull-green with variable silvery bands. The forewing is golden-brown with black spots. The absence of any red on forewing underside enables separation from A. pandora. Males are brighter than the females. The valezina form of the female is greyish-green.

Habitat Requirements

Usually found in wooded regions.

Larval Foodplants

Mediterranean White Violet Viola alba (flowers fragrant, white or blue-violet),
Mediterranean White Violet Viola alba subsp. alba (flowers fragrant, white or blue-violet), Mediterranean White Violet Viola alba subsp. dehnhardtii (flowers fragrant, white or blue-violet), Field Pansy Viola arvensis, Viola cephalonica, Dwarf Pansy Viola kitaibeliana, Sweet Violet Viola odorata, Early Dog-violet Viola reichenbachiana.

Observations

A large territorial butterfly, that on occasions has been observed attacking females that enter a males territory, with the intention of forcing a coupling.  Regularly seen nectaring in gardens on Buddliea davidii.

*The information provided in the tables below is based on verified sightings of the Silver-washed Fritillary submitted via this website since 1st January 2021.

First and Last Sightings

Year First Last/latest # Days
2023 23/05/2023 23/10/2023 153 days
2022 24/05/2022 25/11/2022 185 days
2021 21/05/2021 25/10/2021 157 days

Number of Observations

Year Number of observations
2023 610
2022 383
2021 325
Grand Total 1318

Distribution Map

Distribution maps for this species are currently unavailable.

Flight Times for the Silver-washed Fritillary (2023)

The chart below shows flight data by month for 2023

Flight Times for the Silver-washed Fritillary (All Data)

The chart below shows flight data by month since 1st January 2021

Taxonomy

  • Vernacular/Common Name: Silver-washed Fritillary
  • Family: Nymphalidae (Rafinesque, 1815)
  • Sub-family: Heliconiinae (Swainson, 1822)
  • Tribe: Argynnini (Duponchel, 1835)
  • Genus: Argynnis (Fabricius, 1807)
  • Species: paphia (Linnaeus, 1758)

References

For a list of references, please see our bibliography page.