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Melitaea parthenoides

{{Short description|Meadow fritillary, a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae from south-western Europe}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Melitaea parthenoides anvers.jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{Cite iucn |title=Melitaea parthenoides |author=van Swaay, C., Wynhoff, I., Verovnik, R., Wiemers, M., López Munguira, M., Maes, D., Sasic, M., Verstrael, T., Warren, M. & Settele, J. |name-list-style=amp |page= e.T173315A6989319 |date=2010 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-1.RLTS.T173315A6989319.en |access-date=23 January 2024}}

| taxon = Melitaea parthenoides

| authority = C. Keferstein, 1851{{Cite journal|author=Keferstein, C. |year=1851 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33813745 |title=Versuch einer kritisch- systematischen Aufstellung der europäischen Lepidopteren mit Berücksichtigung der Synonymie |journal=Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung |volume=12 |page= 244}}

| synonyms = *Melitaea athalia var. parthenoides Keferstein, 1851

  • Mellicta parthenoides (Keferstein, 1851)

}}

Melitaea parthenoides, the meadow fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Note that the common name meadow fritillary is also used for the North American species Boloria bellona.

Distribution

It is found in south-western Europe, more specifically on the Iberian Peninsula, south-western France, parts of the Italian Alps and southern and south-western Germany and a few regions of Switzerland.

Description

The wingspan is 28–34 mm. Upper surface very similar to Melitaea athalia, especially in pattern, but the black markings much thinner, yellowish red the prevalent colour. While in Melitaea aurelia and athalia the yellowish red spots may be said to be united to bands, parthenoides has orange bands of almost even width and traversed by thin black veins; the median band especially is very broad, the spots composing it being almost twice as long as wide, which is hardly ever the case in European athalia. The underside likewise resembles athalia in pattern, but is brighter, more variegated, the black edges of the various bands being more prominent, the colours contrasting more distinctly.Seitz. A. (1909). Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter Band 1: Abt. 1 {{PD-notice}}

Melitaea parthenoides MHNT CUT 2013 3 29 Venerque Male dorsal.jpg|Male

Melitaea parthenoides MHNT CUT 2013 3 29 Venerque Male ventral.jpg|Male underside

Melitaea parthenoides MHNT CUT 2013 3 29 Flottes female dorsal.jpg|Female

Melitaea parthenoides MHNT CUT 2013 3 29 Flottes female ventral.jpg|Female underside

Biology

In dry, favourable climates, adults are on wing in two generations, from May to June and from August to September. At high altitudes, there is one generation from June to July.

The larvae feed on Plantago species, mainly P. lanceolata.

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category}}

  • [http://www.lepiforum.de/cgi-bin/lepiwiki.pl?Melitaea_Parthenoides lepiforum.eu]
  • [http://ftp.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/nymphalidae/nymphalinae/melitaea/ "Melitaea Fabricius, 1807"] at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20110604051118/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=317767 Fauna Europaea]

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Category:Melitaea

Category:Butterflies of Europe

Category:Butterflies described in 1851

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