David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images
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Butterflies 109 – Meadow Fritillaries*
MEADOW FRITILLARY Melitaea
parthenoides (presumptive)
MEADOW FRITILLARY Melitaea
parthenoides (m, presumptive)
MEADOW FRITILLARY Melitaea
parthenoides (m, presumptive)
MEADOW FRITILLARY Melitaea
parthenoides (f, presumptive)
MEADOW FRITILLARY Melitaea
parthenoides (f, presumptive)
MEADOW
FRITILLARY Melitaea parthenoides (f, presumptive)
·
There are several small European fritillaries
that may be impossible to identify in the field using purely macroscopic
characteristics as their markings simply aren’t distinctive enough –
frustrating, as these butterflies are beautiful, and the photographs of them are
crying out to be accurately labelled. The pitfalls of trying are well
illustrated here in this excellent and well researched reference: http://www.european-butterflies.org.uk/downloads/EURO%20FRITS%20GUIDE.pdf . The male
butterfly in the second and third photographs looks to be a good candidate for Meadow
Fritillary Melitaea parthenoides
as it has oblique black markings in the correct position for this species on
its forewings and reduced (faint) black markings towards their margins.
However, as a non-collector the author recognises that there are limitations in
trying to provide photographic references for this genus, and particularly for
the common Meliteia species, and this
shortcoming will need to be recognised by site users. The females have been provisionally
identified by association with the males as they were taken at the same
location in France, but more than one species of small fritillary may be
encountered at the same time, and perhaps even feeding simultaneously from the
same nectar source. It may be possible to photograph the genitalia of captive male
specimens so that they may be compared with reference material, but the author takes
photographs of butterflies living in their natural habitat rather than in a
net, an item of equipment that he never carries, or in the hand.
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