High Brown Fritillary Underside
Another of shot of the High Brown Fritillary (Argynnis adippe).
This is a very rare resident British butterfly, which has declined by over 90% since the 1970s. Once common and widespread in large woodlands in England and parts of Wales, this butterfly is now confined to a few sites. This one was located on Dartmoor.
In flight, these Fritillaries are almost impossible to distinguish from the Dark Green Fritillary, which often share the same habitats. The Dark Green lacks the row of red-brown spots with silver dots, located between the outer margin and the silver spangles on the underside of the hind wing. These spots can be seen in my photograph.
