[Movie File] Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)

[Movie File] Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)

Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) is one of the most common Fritillary butterflies seen in most of mainland Japan. It widely ranges from northern to southern part of Japan including some remote islands such as Sado-island, Oki-islands or Tsushima-island. This species likes to visit various flowers. Usually seen near small stream and forest. At low altitude adult butterflies appear from early June but immediately disappear there and again seen from middle September to October. Some researchers claim that adult butterflies of this species migrate from low altitude to highlands to take shelter from the summer heat. In cool places, adult butterflies can be seen continuously from July to September. The larva feeds on viola. Females of this species are known to have some color variation. Dark form (see figures) is rarely seen mostly in eastern Japan. The above figured dark form was collected in Tottori Prefecture in eastern Japan more than 40 years ago by Mr. Uemura Yoshinobu (President of our society), now preserved in RIEB, Tokyo.

  (Yamagata-shi, Yamagata, JAPAN Sep. 2012)

▲Female; Dark form (right; collected in Tottori, eastern Japan) and normal form, upperside (preserved in RIEB, Tokyo)

▲Ditto, underside