Dark Green Fritillary (Argynnis (Mesoacidalia) aglaja (Linnaeus, 1758))
Scientific name: Argynnis (Mesoacidalia) aglaja (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: Dark Green Fritillary
Other names: Other scientific name: Speyeria aglaja.
French name: Grand Nacré
Order: Lepidoptera
Suborder: Rhopalocera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Argynninae
Wingspan: 48-58 mm.
Biotope: Open meadows with flowers from plain to very high altitude. Clearings and road sides.
Geographic area: Morocco, Europe and temperate Asia as far as Japan.
Flight time: June-August
Number of generations : 1
Caterpillar: Black , covered with spines and with lateral red marks.
Host plant: Violet (Viola)
The Dark Green Fritillary is a large butterfly. The upper side of the wings is bright orange brown with black marks.
The shape of the outer edge of the forewing is straight or convex. This is a possible key to differentiate the Dark Green Fritillary from the High Brown Fritillary (Argynnis adippe) whose fore wing's outer edge is slightly concave. It is almost impossible to differentiate the Dark Green Fritillary from the Niobe Fritillary (Argynnis niobe) with only a view of the upper side of the wings. You can however get one information by a close look at the males' androconial stripes: 2 thin stripes on Argynnis niobe, 2 broad stripes on Argynnis adippe and 3 very thin stripes on Argynnis aglaja.
The main way to identify these species is to have close look at the underside of the hindwing.
The underside of the Dark Green Fritillary's hindwing is greenish with a row of silvery spots and a wide yellow submarginal band without brown spots.
Females are slightly paler than males.
The Dark Green Fritillary overwinters as a caterpillar.

Argynnis sp. - Savoie, France - August 20th 2006
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Argynnis sp.
A view of the underside of the hindwing is required to avoid a possible confusion with Argynnis adippe (High Brown Fritillary) and Argynnis niobe (Niobe Fritillary).


Argynnis sp. - Savoie, France - August 20th 2006
[To know more about the Dark Green Fritillary]    [Previous picture]    [Top]
Argynnis sp.
A view of the underside of the hindwing is required to avoid a possible confusion with Argynnis adippe (High Brown Fritillary) and Argynnis niobe (Niobe Fritillary).

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