Biology:Mellicta aurelia

Short description: Species of butterfly

Mellicta aurelia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Mellicta
Species:	M. aurelia
Binomial name
Mellicta aurelia (Nickerl, 1850)
Synonyms
Melitaea corythalina Nickerl, 1850 Spuler, 1901 Melitaea dorfmeisteri Verity, 1950 Melitaea fuscissima Verity, 1950 Melitaea commacula Caruel, 1944 Caruel, 1944 Caruel, 1944 Caruel, 1944 Cleu, 1932 Reuss, 1921 Verity, 1920 Rebel, 1913 Lambillion, 1910 Spuler, 1901 Melitaea serotina Melitaea parthenie Melitaea cinerea Melitaea faivrei Melitaea chappuisi Melitaea charlotta Oberthür, 1909 Borkhausen, 1788 Melitaea ligata Melitaea nigropunctata Melitaea unifasciata Melitaea subnigrescens Mellaerts, 1929 Le Charles, 1920 Heinrich, 1917 Rebel, 1912 Spuler, 1901 Esper, 1784 Melitaea minor Melitaea latonigena Melitaea navarina Melitaea corythalia Melitaea aurelia Melitaea pyronioides Melitaea lucasi Melitaea melanodes

Mellicta aurelia, or Nickerl's fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in central Europe.

Description

The wingspan is 28–32 mm (1.1–1.3 in). Dark russet-brown, so strongly marked with black that the ground-colour is reduced in the female to very small spots. On the whole similar to Melitaea athalia, but smaller, with the black markings deeper in tint and heavier, the ground-colour darker, more brownish; beneath the marginal line before the fringes is absent or but very indistinct. The species is recognizable by the palpi bearing foxy red hairs, while the palpi of athalia are whitish, being occasionally somewhat reddish yellow and then only at the base.

• 
  Male
• 
  Male underside

Biology

The butterfly flies from June to August depending on the location. The larvae feed on Plantago lanceolata, Melampyrum pratense and yellow rattle.

External links

• Butterflies of Europe (in Dutch)
• Lepidoptera of Belgium

Wikidata ☰ {{{from}}} entry