High brown fritillary

{{Short description|Species of butterfly}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} {{Speciesbox | image = Argynnis adippe - Feuriger Perlmutterfalter 04 (HS).JPG | image_caption = Dorsal side, [[Germany]] | image2 = Argynnis-adippe-01.jpg | image2_caption = Ventral side, [[Austria]] | taxon = Fabriciana adippe | authority = ([[Michael Denis|Denis]] & [[Ignaz Schiffermüller|Schiffermüller]], 1775) | synonyms_ref = <ref name=funet>{{cite web |last=Savela |first=Markku |url=https://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/nymphalidae/heliconiinae/fabriciana/ |title=''Fabriciana'' Reuss, 1920 |website=Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms |access-date=1 October 2019}}</ref> | synonyms = *''Papilio adippe'' <small>Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775</small> *''Argynnis adippe'' }}

The '''high brown fritillary''' ('''''Fabriciana adippe''''') is a large and brightly colored [[butterfly]] of the family [[Nymphalidae]], native to Europe and across the [[Palearctic]] to Japan. It is known for being Great Britain's most threatened butterfly and is listed as a vulnerable species under the [[Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981]].<ref name=":0">Barnett, L. K., & Warren, M. S. (1995). ''High Brown Fritillary ''. Wareham, Dorset: Butterfly Conservation</ref> Like other fritillaries it is dependent on warm climates with violet-rich flora.

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== Description == [[File: Fabriciana adippe MHNT CUT 2013 3 25 Sornac.jpg|thumb|dorsal (L) and ventral (R) views]] The high brown fritillary's wingspan is on average around 65&nbsp;mm. Its upper wings are orange with black markings and the undersides are colored a duller orange with white and brown markings. While flying, it is very hard to distinguish from the dark green fritillary which has many of the same markings.<ref>Mulberry, S. (1995). High brown fritillary management in the Heddon Valley and at Watersmeet, Exmoor, Devon. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 56, 95-96. {{doi|10.1111/j.1095-8312.1995.tb01122.x}}</ref> The male and female fritillary share many of the same physical features.

Larvae are brown with a single longitudinal white stripe down the length of their body. Their bodies are covered in brown spikes which aid in camouflaging them from predators as they move among dead fern fronds.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Ellis|first=Sam|last2=Bourn|first2=Nigel|last3=Bulman|first3=Caroline|last4=Hobson|first4=Russel|last5=Jones|first5=Rachel|last6=Plackett|first6=Jenny|last7=Middlebrook|first7=Ian|last8=Smith|first8=Richard|last9=Wain|first9=Martin|date=December 2015|title=Britain's Fastest-Declining Butterfly|url=http://butterfly-conservation.org/files/bwp-hbf.pdf|journal=British Wildlife|pages=111–122}}</ref>

==Description from Seitz== ''A. adippe'' L. (= ''berecynthia'' Poda, ''cydippe'' L.) (69d). Usually larger than the previous species [ ''Argynnis alexandra'' Ménetries, 1832], the wings more obtuse, the outer margin of the forewing quite straight and that of the hindwing feebly undulate in the female. Easily recognized by the thickened hairy streaks placed in the male on the branches of the median vein on the forewing. Beneath the silver-spots are much larger than in ''niobe'', particularly the marginal spots are much longer and broader.<ref>[[Adalbert Seitz|Seitz. A.]] in Seitz, A. ed. Band 1: Abt. 1, ''Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter'', 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren){{PD-notice}}</ref>

== Geographic range == This butterfly has many subspecies that span across Europe and throughout Asia and Africa, given that there are temperate temperatures in those regions. Northern Europe has seen a severe decline in fritillary population but it is still relatively abundant in other parts of Europe.

As of 2015, the high brown fritillary was the most threatened British butterfly species.<ref name=":3" /> Populations remain in four areas in Great Britain. The [[Morecambe Bay]] Limestone hills, the Glamorgan Brackenlands, [[Dartmoor]] and [[Exmoor]] all support a fritillary population, while it has declined in most other Northern European regions.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

== Habitat == There are two main habitats that support high brown fritillary populations: [[bracken]] and [[limestone]] outcrops.<ref name=":0" /> Bracken habitats are found across its geographic range but limestone outcrops are specific to Great Britain.

=== Bracken habitats === These habitats are usually at lower altitudes in open fields and are found across the fritillarys complete range, usually facing in a southern direction. Their flora is not very diverse, and is limited to common ivies, [[Potentilla|tormentil]], [[Anemone nemorosa|wood anemone]] and [[Viola (plant)|violets]]. Breeding areas are bracken dominated, with dead bracken leaves littering the ground. Grassy areas often intersperse these habitats.

In spring, habitat covered in dead bracken typically also has less dense grass cover, allowing the temperature in these areas to be significantly higher than surrounding areas. Increased temperature allows larvae to mature more quickly here, making bracken-rich habitats favorable breeding sites.<ref name=":3" />

=== Limestone outcropping habitats === These habitats are specific to Great Britain, especially to the limestone soils of the Morecambe Bay. These outcrops are usually created by human intervention and land management. Breeding persists on limestone soil or near bracken. Throughout the rest of Great Britain, populations are restricted to thick Bracken clumps.

== Food resources ==

=== Larvae === Unlike other species, fritillary larvae ignore their egg shells as a food source and instead primarily feed on violet seedlings. They focus on younger growth and remain among food plants, eating heavily before [[metamorphosis]].

=== Adult === Adult fritillaries do not have a very diverse set of plants from which they feed. Both the female and male feed primary on bramble blossom and [[Centaurea nigra|common knapweed]]. Fritillaries have also been observed feeding on different [[thistle]] species, [[Betonica officinalis|betony]], and [[Jacobaea vulgaris|ragwort]]. Local gardens are also commonly frequented as ''[[Buddleja]]'' is a popular choice among fritillaries as well. [[Image:The larvæ of the British butterflies and moths BHL41107813.jpg|thumb| 240px|left|2,2a,2b, 2c, 2d, 2e larva after last moult 2f pupa ]]

== Life cycle ==

=== Egg === Eggs are laid singly<ref name=":3" /> in mid-July up till winter's start, [[Overwintering|overwinter]], and hatch in mid-March. Observation of fritillary egg laying is difficult as the eggs are very similar in color to the female's [[ovipositor]]. It has been seen that eggs may not even be laid after extensive enquiry by the female of potential egg sites. Females also prefer to lay eggs that are on firm ground rather than ground with loose plant matter. In outcrops eggs are laid in short vegetation next to limestone that offers good moss cover. In Bracken eggs are laid in groups in the midst of thick Bracken clumps. Dead Bracken litter is a popular site for egg laying, as well as moss and other decaying vegetation.<ref name=":0" />

=== Larvae === Once the larvae of the high brown fritillary emerge from the shell in mid-March, they begin to feed, usually on violets, almost immediately. When not feeding, which it spends the majority of its time doing, the larvae hide themselves among vegetation.<ref name=":0" /> They are [[Diurnality|diurnal]] and very temperature dependent. They frequently bask in sunlight to raise their body temperature higher than the surrounding vegetation allowing for faster growth. Eggs are laid in spots conducive to sun bathing, and the larvae gravitate towards spots warmed by sun and vegetation. During abnormally high temperatures the larvae hide under plant matter in-between feeding.

=== Pupa === Before pupation, the larvae form a shroud like structure from leaves and spin a section of silk from the top. This occurs usually around June. The larvae then suspend themselves and enter their pupal stage, which lasts for approximately a month, although this estimate is very temperature dependent. There is not extensive research on the subject.<ref name=":0" />

=== Adult === The adult fritillary only has one brood a year, as they are a [[univoltine]] species. They can be seen flying from late June to late August, or even in certain Limestone areas, till September.<ref name=":0" /> Elsewhere they have a shorter flying season, from only mid-June to early August.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/uploads/Bracken%20for%20Butterflies.pdf|title=Bracken For Butterflies|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003102036/http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/uploads/Bracken%20for%20Butterflies.pdf|archive-date=3 October 2008|url-status=dead|website=[[Butterfly Conservation]]}}</ref> In warm weather the fritillary is most active, and spends most of its time flying low to the ground above and around Bracken and other flora.

== Parental care ==

=== Oviposition === The egg laying process begins when a female does low passes above bracken fronds and drop down when they find a suitable spot. Females will then crawl on the bracken littered ground and use their abdomens to probe for likely egg laying spots. Eggs are normally laid once a female crawls over a plant that can serve as a food resource. Eggs may also be laid without any area observation, and without any food plants nearby, as females have been observed to lay eggs within seconds of landing. False egg laying is also common.<ref name=":0" />

== Conservation ==

=== Current status === The high brown fritillary population, especially in Great Britain, is extremely threatened.<ref name=":2" /> It is extinct in over 90% of its former geographic range, making it a high priority for conservation efforts.<ref name=":0" /> The species was once widespread in the [[UK|United Kingdom]] but has now greatly declined.<ref>{{cite web|title=High Brown Fritillary|url=http://butterfly-conservation.org/679-985/high-brown-fritillary.html|publisher=[[Butterfly Conservation]]|access-date=9 April 2015}}</ref> It has legal protection in the UK under the 1981 [[Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981|Wildlife and Countryside Act]].<ref>Pocket Nature Butterflies and Moths, by Paul Sterry and Andrew Mackay, published by Dorling Kindersley 2010, {{ISBN|978 1 4053 4995 6}}</ref> The British decline of the fritillary can be attributed to novel changes in land management, increasing during the 20th century.

=== Habitat loss === Fritillaries in woodland habitats have been most severally affected by [[habitat loss]]. These butterflies relied heavily on [[coppicing]], a land managing technique that has all but disappeared from Great Britain's countryside. The reduction of coppicing combined with replanting and new forest growth has several limited the places the fritillary can thrive, as bracken habitats are becoming rarer. Within bracken habitats, population loss is driven when bracken growth is too extreme or grazing animals trample the flora associated with the butterfly.<ref name=":0" />

=== Projects === In order to reverse the decline of the high brown fritillary, conservation plans focusing on bracken habitat management are the primary course of action. Bracken sites are in the process of being assessed to see which steps could be taken next. There are tentative plans to implement winter bracken litter clearance and summer path cutting between patches.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} The high brown fritillary remains one of the [[Butterfly Conservation|Butterfly Conservation's]] highest priority projects.

The Wilder Blean project, headed up by the Wildwood Trust and [[Kent Wildlife Trust]], is introducing [[European bison]] to the UK for the first time in 6000 years. Their actions create open, light-flooded patches that encourage the growth of [[cow wheat]] which the fritillary depends upon.<ref>{{Cite news|last=GrrlScientist|date=20 July 2020|title=Bison To Return To British Woodland After Absence of More Than Six Millennia|work=Forbes|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2020/07/20/bison-to-return-to-british-woodland-after-absence-of-more-than-six-millennia/|access-date=2020-07-21}}</ref> The herd of 3 females and 1 male will be set free in 2022 within a 2,500-acre conservation area in Blean Woods near Canterbury.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-07-09|title=European bison to be introduced into Kent woodland|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-53349929|access-date=2020-07-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Chantler-Hicks|first=Lydia|date=2020-07-10|title=Bison to be introduced to Kent woodland|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/bison-to-be-introduced-to-kent-woodland-230138/|access-date=2020-07-11|work=Kent Online}}</ref>

== Gallery == <gallery mode="packed"> Fabriciana adippe MHNT CUT 2013 3 25 Sornac Dorsal.jpg|Dorsal side Fabriciana adippe MHNT CUT 2013 3 25 Sornac Ventral.jpg|Ventral side High brown fritillary (Argynnis adippe) form cleodoxa Macedonia.jpg|female, form ''cleodoxa'' Argynnis adippe 1 Richard Bartz.jpg|on ''[[Centaurea sadleriana]]'' High brown fritillary (Argynnis adippe) on Black knapweed (Centaurea nigra) Bulgaria.jpg|on ''[[Centaurea nigra]]'' </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://ftp.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/nymphalidae/heliconiinae/fabriciana/ "''Fabriciana'' Reuss, 1920"] at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms'' * Barnett, L. K., & Warren, M. S. (1995). ''High Brown Fritillary ''. Wareham, Dorset: Butterfly Conservation. * Mulberry, S. (1995). High brown fritillary management in the Heddon Valley and at Watersmeet, Exmoor, Devon. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 56, 95–96. {{doi|10.1111/j.1095-8312.1995.tb01122.x}} * Butterfly Conservation. (n.d.). from <nowiki>http://butterfly-conservation.org/</nowiki> * Bonsall, M. B., Dooley, C. A., Kasparson, A., Brereton, T., Roy, D. B., & Thomas, J. A. (2014). Allee effects and the spatial dynamics of a locally endangered butterfly, the high brown fritillary (Argynnis adippe). Ecological Applications, 24(1), 108–120. {{doi|10.1890/13-0155.1}} * Thomas, J. A. (1995). The conservation of declining butterfly populations in Britain and Europe: priorities, problems and successes. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 56, 55–72. {{doi|10.1111/j.1095-8312.1995.tb01120.x}} * Tudor, O., Dennis, R., Greatorex-Davies, J., & Sparks, T. (2004). Flower preferences of woodland butterflies in the UK: nectaring specialists are species of conservation concern. Biological Conservation, 119(3), 397–403. {{doi|10.1016/j.biocon.2004.01.002}} * High brown fritillary videos, photos and facts. (n.d.). from <nowiki>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090417063612/http://www.arkive.org/high-brown-fritillary/argynnis-adippe/ ARKive]</nowiki> * High Brown Fritillary. (n.d.). from <nowiki>http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=adippe</nowiki>

{{Taxonbar|from=Q119699|from2=Q13846270}}

[[Category:Fabriciana]] [[Category:Butterflies described in 1775]] [[Category:Butterflies of Japan]] [[Category:Butterflies of Europe]] [[Category:Taxa named by Michael Denis]] [[Category:Taxa named by Ignaz Schiffermüller]]