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Argynnis paphia
The Silver-washed fritillary butterfly is deep orange with black spots on the upper side of its wings, and has a wingspan of 5-6 cm, with the male being smaller and paler than the female. The underside is green with silver stripes. It is easy to identify due to its well marked four androconia on the forewing anverse. Adults feed on the nectar of bramble, thistles, and knapweeds, and also on aphid honeydew. It is a strong flier, and more mobile than other fritillaries. Its preferred habitat is thin, sunny, deciduous woodland, especially oaks, but it has been known to live in coniferous woodland. The male possesses four visible androconia (scent scales) on the upper side of the forewing that run along veins one to four. The scent produced from these scales attracts females and helps to distinguish it from other species. Unusually for a butterfly, the female does not lay her eggs on the leaves or stem of the caterpillar's food source (in this case violets), but one or two meters above the woodland floor in the crevices of tree bark close to clumps of violets. The caterpillar is black-brown with two yellow lines along its back and long reddish-brown spines.
Spotted at open oak forest. Reserva de la Biosfera del Real Sitio de San Ildefonso-El Espinar.
Camera Model: NIKON D500. Exposure Time: 1/500 sec.; f/5.6; ISO Speed Rating: 2500. Exposure Bias: 0 EV. Focal Length: 300.0 mm. No flash fired. DSC_4607, 03
Spotted on Jun 30, 2019
Submitted on Oct 25, 2019
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