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Bog Fritillary
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Ardennes,
Belgium, June 2001 |
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Ardennes,
Belgium, June 2001 |
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Ardennes,
Belgium, June 2001 |
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Ardennes,
Belgium, June 2001 |
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Among the smaller Fritillaries
this is a very distinctive butterfly. The regularity of the underside
hindwing is obvious and the post discal row of clear open rings is
characteristic and unmistakable. It occurs throughout Scandinavia and NE
Europe (Poland etc) and in a few small and very isolated areas elsewhere
- E Pyrenees, Belgium, Italy, Austria.
We first found a couple
in Andorra in July, then a single one on a very rainy day in June
Belgium before venturing to Scandinavia in early July. Here it was
widespread and common particularly flying over wet bogs, a very common
habitat. Since then I revisited Belgium in early June and this time it
was very common, flying with late examples of the Violet Copper, Lycaena
helle. In Belgium the habitat was exactly the same as helle -
fields of the shared larval foodplant Bistort with their distinctive
pink flower spikes bobbing in the breeze. |
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