Boloria dia

Boloria dia, the Weaver's fritillary or violet fritillary, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. The name Weaver's fritillary is in honor of Richard Weaver, an English insect dealer who captured this species in the 19th century at Sutton Park, Tamworth. However, B. dia is uncommon in England and the few specimens known from there are thought to be from possibly accidental introductions.[1]

Boloria dia
Ventral view
Dorsal view
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Nymphalidae
Genus:
Boloria
Species:
B. dia
Binomial name
Boloria dia
Synonyms
  • Clossiana dia
  • Boloria (Clossiana) dia

Description

The adult is a small fritillary with typically chequered orange-brown upperside and a submarginal row of triangles and dots. The forewing is 16–17 mm long. The underside of the hindwing has a distinctive purplish band.

B. dia differs from the pearl-bordered fritillary in having a sharp angle to its hindwing (readily seen from underside when perched with wings closed). The similar Titania's fritillary has a less sharply-angled hindwing and only occurs at high altitude.[2]

In Europe the larvae feed on Viola species (Viola odorata, Viola hirta, Viola canina, Viola reichenbachiana, Viola tricolor), and outside Europe on Prunella vulgaris and Rubus idaeus.

Distribution

B. dia is found in Europe, over the Caucasus east across the Palearctic to Mongolia. It is widespread and common across southern France.[2] In Europe it occurs from northern Spain, Italy and Greece to Poland, the Balkans and Turkey.[3][4] It is not found in Britain.

Subspecies
  • Clossiana dia dia western Europe
  • Clossiana dia alpina (Elwes, 1899)
  • Clossiana dia calida (Jachontov, 1911)
  • Clossiana dia disconota (Krulikovsky, 1909) central Europe and western Siberia
  • Clossiana dia semota Tuzov, 2000
  • Clossiana dia setania (Fruhstorfer, 1909)[4]
  • Dorsal side
  • Ventral side

References
  1. Eeles, Peter (2002–2012). "Weaver's Fritillary". UK Butterflies. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  2. Gibbons, Roger (2011). "Weaver's Fritillary". Butterflies of France. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  3. Funet.fi
  4. Fauna Europaea


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