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Mellicta varia (NL: Alpenparelmoervlinder / EN: Grisons Fritillary / DE: Bündner Scheckenfalter / FR: Mélitée de la gentiane, Mélitée alpine) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is a high altitude species (It is found in the Alps on heights of 1.500 to 2.600 meters, especially in the Swiss cantons Valais, Engadin and Graubünden) and so shares some of the usual attributes of Butterflies which live in mountain ranges: it is a small Butterfly (the wingspan is 24-28 mm.) with more delicate markings. Also there are frequently occurring dark forms particularly in the female, which is a side effect of the pupa being kept very cold over the winter.
Note: In the new European taxonomy, the Mellicta fritillaries are now grouped with the Melitaea genus, so this species now has the scientific name Melitaea varia. Because this new name is not yet fully supported and the field guides use the older name, I prefer to keep Mellicta varia for a while.
Image: Tschierv (CH) – 13/07/2012
© Johan Dierckx
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Canon EOS 400D
1/125 second
F/5.6
ISO 200
150 mm
animalia
arthropoda
insecta
lepidoptera
nymphalidae
mellicta
ch