NOW: Marsh Fritillary Butterfly PUPAE
Host plants: Scabious (various species), Honeysuckle leaves
Difficulty: Easy (1/10)
Temperature: Room temp.
Lifecycle: Can produce multiple broods in captivity; larvae hibernate in late summer and resume feeding the following spring.
This livestock is captive bred originally from mainland Europe and not derived from wild British stocks.
Euphydryas aurinia, commonly known as the Marsh Fritillary, is a butterfly species native to much of Europe. Sadly, over the 20th century numbers have declined significantly (by an estimated 79% since 1970) and this butterfly is now rare in the UK, with populations largely confined to the west of Scotland and south of England with some populations also in Wales. The marsh fritillary is characterized by its vibrant orange wings with black spots and markings. Its wingspan typically ranges from 3.5 to 5 centimetres, making this quite a small butterfly - but nonetheless a joy to keep! Typically, this species is found in damp grasslands, wet meadows, marshes - as its common name may suggest - and other moist habitats where its larval food plants are abundant. The larvae feed on the leaves of Devil’s Bit Scabious, Field Scabious, and Small Scabious in the wild, but can also be reared on Honeysuckle in captivity. Honeysuckle is particularly useful as it comes into leaf early in the year. Rearing of caterpillars is very easy, late summer broods will overwinter in L2, completing development the following spring.