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Mellicta varia

Grisons Fritillary

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Identification of the difficult Mellicta group by genitalia.

Click on link to review the Mellicta.

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, July 2004

Valais, Switzlerland, July 2005

Valais, Switzerland, July 2005

Valais, Switzerland, July 2004

Valais, Switzerland, July 2004

Valais, Switzerland, July 2004

Valais, Switzerland, July 2004

Piedmont, Italy, July 2004

Valais, Switzerland, July 2004

Valais, Switzerland, July 2005

A lightly marked individual.

Valais, Switzerland, June 2005

A heavily marked example.

2000m, Valais, Switzerland, June 2003

Male.

2000m, Valais, Switzerland, June 2003

A better marked male (wings open) plus female.

2000m, Valais, Switzerland, June 2003

Female opening during brighter spell of weather.

Valais, Switzerland, June 2003

Female during duller spell of weather.

A local species confined to the Alps and central Italy. I've only ever found it at one area where it is localised but common. It's a small Fritillary, its size immediately indicating it is something out of the ordinary. The undersides of both sexes are rather duskier than other similar species in the area. The female upperside is particularly characteristic being fairly dusky and rather yellowish.

The males in the photos above are fairly typical of this area and are a little less marked than usually shown in the standard field guides. I was a little worried that this might be a far flung colony of Meadow Fritillary (Mellicta parthenoides) on account of the poorly marked/ vestigial discal line on the hindwing, but the females are so yellowy and dusky that I favour the Grisons Fritillary. Also these specimens lack the characteristic "oblique" mark of the upper forewing.