Genus MELITAEA, Fabricius, 1807 
THE HEATH FRITILLARY 
Melitaea athalia (Rott., 1775). 
(Plate X, facing page 129) 
Haunts and Distribution. During the past half-century this 
butterfly has disappeared from many of its haunts where it 
was formerly abundant, and now occurs only in a few of the 
southern English counties. Its chief localities are in Kent, 
Devon and Cornwall ; in Sussex it was formerly common, but 
now exists only in limited num¬ 
bers. In Essex, where several 
females were liberated about ten 
years ago, it is now abundant. 
It does not exist in the northern 
counties or in Scotland. In Ire¬ 
land it has occurred commonly 
in Killarney. Abroad, its dis¬ 
tribution extends through Europe 
and northern Asia. 
Its apparent extermination in 
certain localities was largely due to over-collecting, combined 
with extensive rearing of pheasants, as both the young and old 
of this bird, especially during the breeding season, destroy an 
enormous number of insects, especially ground-feeding larvae. 
In the woods at Chattenden, Kent, it swarmed in profusion 
until about 1875, after then it rapidly decreased in numbers, 
and when I visited the spot in 1881, it had completely 
vanished and was never seen again in that locality. Its 
extermination at Chattenden was mainly due to the greed of 
collectors, and the pheasants cleared off the rest. 
Hibernation. M. athalia hibernates as a larva, hibernation 
extending over six months, i.e. from the end of August to 
March. 
Time of Appearance. This butterfly is single brooded and 
occurs on the wing in June and July ; in early seasons it is 
out at the beginning of June, but normally it is not fully out 
until the third week of that month. 
130 
The Heath Fritillary 
(Male ab., Hailsham, Sussex, 
23 7-1907, F.W.F , coll ). 
