It's a beautiful sight to see the Silver-washed fritillary butterfly in flight. It's quite a large butterfly, (normally between 5-7cm) and the bright orange upperside of it's wings always makes me rush for the shutter button of my camera. The males can commonly be seen swooping in a zig-zag fashion in search of it's female mate.You might wonder why it's named as it is, well it's because of the very obvious silver streaks on it's underside, which can be seen when it stops for a munch on some tasty brambles, or other flowers.

This butterfly is reasonably common across Europe, as far North as the southern parts of Sweden (where these photographs were taken) Finland, and Norway, throughout the Mediterranean to North Africa, across much of Russia, & eastwards across to Japan and China. It's numbers are declining in some European countries but increasing in others, particularly those in the North of Europe. In the UK, the Silver-Washed Fritillary is a Species of Conservation Concern. It can most certainly still be seen in the southern parts of England, Wales and in Northern Ireland, but is scarce further north. This is due to changes in the ways woodlands have been managed.

It can be seen in flight during the summer months of June, July and August, at sea level, and up to around 1500metres. It tends to prefer areas near forests and woodland clearings. It breeds in the more shady parts however. The photographs on this page are of the male, which is slightly smaller, and has more curved wings than the female, and is of brighter orange colour. It also has dark bands (which are scent marks) across its forewings, which the female does not.

It mainly feeds on the nectar of brambles. It lays it's eggs on the trunks of nearby trees, and the caterpillars which appear the following spring, will generally fall to the ground to seek out the Dog Violet (Viola riviniana), which won't be far away.