High Brown Fritillary; Adipe

Butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.

This butterfly is easily mistaken for a Dark Green Fritillary (A. aglaja). The two species are most easily distinguished by their undersides, where the High Brown Fritillary has a row of brown spots between the outer margin and the silver spangles, which are missing in the Dark Green Fritillary.

It likes drier conditions than its more common relative Argynnis aglaja, but not as dry as the Queen of Spain fritillary. It prefers sandy or rocky hills and banks with patches of the foodplant for the larvae.

The adults fly in July/August and lay eggs near to the larval food plants which are species of violets, (similar to the pearl-bordered fritillary). The eggs are often laid in places where there are dead bracken on the ground or in areas where the underlying rock is limestone the eggs may be laid in moss overlying rocks.