Melitaea deione ¦ Provencal Fritillary ¦ euroButterflies

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Melitaea deione

Provencal Fritillary

euroButterflies

by Matt Rowlings

Valais, Switzerland, May 2021

Valais, Switzerland, June 2012

Ssp. berisalii.

Field notes and information

Presents significant identification problems. It is generally brighter than the heath fritillary

Identification & Similar species: Separation from some similar species can be very difficult and even impossible for many individuals. However study of genetalia on living male butterflies is possible and gives definitive results. See the

Heath fritillary, M. athaliafor features that may help separate this and other similar species.

Distribution & Flight: Sporadic from south Switzerland, through southern France, Iberian peninsula and northwest Africa. Flies in one or two broods depending on location.

Habitat & Behaviour: Hot dry slopes, often with scrub, light woodland, vineyards etc.

Variation: Highly variable in size, colouration and extent and detail of black markings.

Subspecies M. deione berisalii flies in parts of Valais, Switzerland. Berisal is a very small village on the Simplon Pass. It is unlikely that this species has ever flown there as the habitat is not found there. The collectors of the 19th centuary would pass by the populations of this species in Valais on their way to the famous collecting areas of the Simplon pass. It seems likely that at some point there was a mix up and Berisal was incorrectly recorded as the collecting site.