



ARGYNNIS SELENE. 75 



Argynnis, Fabr. 



There are six recognised British species in the genus 

 Argynnis: A. selene, A. euphrosyne, A. latona, A. aglaia y 

 A. adippe^ and A. paphia. They may be distinguished 

 from the three species of Melit&a by the presence of 

 silver markings (generally spots) on the under-surface, ,by 

 the convex costal margin of the fore-wings, and usually 

 by their larger size. The antennae are knobbed and 

 the fore-legs imperfect. In some species the male is 

 known from the female by the presence in the former of 

 black lines on some of the nervures of the upper surface 

 of the fore-wings. The chrysalides are angled, keeled, 

 and suspended by the anal extremity only. The larvae 

 are cylindrical and usually adorned with long, hairy 

 spines. They are hatched in the summer, but do most 

 of the feeding in the spring, spending the winter on or 

 near the ground at the root of the food-plant or in its 

 neighbourhood. All are grand butterflies not, indeed, so 

 gorgeous as some that we are accustomed to admire, but 

 with colours warm and rich, beautifully harmonised above, 

 delicately picked out with silver below. Moreover, three 

 are amongst the largest of our butterflies, and all have a 

 strong bird-like flight, seen at its best as they come 

 sailing along some woodland glade in the bright summer 

 sunshine. The food-plant is usually some species of Viola. 

 Besides the six insects enumerated above A, dia, Linn. 

 (Weaver's Fritillary), and A. niobe^ Linn. (Niobe Fritillary), 

 have been claimed as British, but the claim is not usually 

 allowed. In the Northern Hemisphere the genus is a 

 common one extending even to the confines of eternal 

 snow; it is scarce, however, south. of the Equator. 



A. selene, Schiff. (Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary) (Figs. 

 63 to 66), is the last and usually the least of its genus 



