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Euphydryas cynthia

Cynthia's Fritillary

Field Notes

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Females are much less conspicuous, tending not to fly much.

Peter Rowlings

Grisons, Switzerland, July 1997

Seems to be an off white tint to this scan. Advice on how to best
scan slides would be most welcome.

This is a butterfly of high alpine slopes. It is confined to the Alps and Rila and Pirin Mts of Bulgaria. I failed to find it in Bulgaria and the Alps in 2004. Even in the good but early year of 2003 I only found it at one place in the Alps where it was almost over by the first weekend of July. A visit to the Grisons site (photo above) on the same date in 2003 yielded no hint of cynthia.

It is most unusual in European Fritillaries having very extensive white markings on the upperside in the male. It should pose absolutely no identification difficulties within its range. The female lacks the white and closely resembles the other Hypodryas and Euphydryas species which which it shares its habitats - H. intermedia and E. aurinia.

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