Argynnis paphia

Silver-washed Fritillary 🦋
This butterfly belongs to the family Nymphalidae. It has a wingspan of up to 75 mm, with characteristic orange and golden hues on the upper side of its wings.
It is found throughout most of Europe, as well as a large part of Asia up to Japan and in northern Africa; it can be found up to 1800 m in the Alps 🏔️.
From late June to early September, the Silver-washed Fritillaries fly along the edges of forests, over meadows, in clearings, and along forest paths, preferring to settle on thistles 🌳🌸🌼.
The caterpillars 🐛 prefer woodland violets.
⁉️ Did you know? 😲
The black stripes on the forewings of the males are actually scent scales. During courtship, the male rubs his wings against the female’s antennae to let her perceive his scent 🦋.
Photo Pixabay