Male Silver-washed Fritillary feeding on bramble flowers. This is Britain's largest Fritillary butterfly and is fairly common in many of England's southern woodlands.

 

The silver streaking on the underside of the hindwing gives this butterfly it's name.

 

The rare ab.ocellata form of the Silver-washed Fritillary.

 

A male Dark Green Fritillary nectaring on Thistle. The Chiltern Hills, Bedfordshire July 2009.

 

Paired Dark Green Fritillaries. Bedfordshire. July 2009.

 

 

High Brown Fritillary male nectaring on Thistle. Although formally widespread in England's woodlands, this species has now died out from most of it's former localities.

 

Female High Brown Fritillary.

 

High Brown Fritillary feeding on bramble blossom.

 

 

Pearl-bordered Fritillary male nectaring. This is a declining species, mostly to be encountered in woodland clearings and rides from late April to early June.

 

The silvery pearl markings gives the Pearl-bordered Fritillary it's name.

 

The Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary occurs in a wide rage of habitats from woodlands to moorlands, and is far more widespread than the Pearl-bordered Fritillary.

 

The underside of the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, a butterfly that is on the wing from late May to early July, with a partial 2nd brood in August in warm summers.

 

The Heath Fritillary is very restricted in it's distribution but may be plentiful where it occurs.

 

A male Glanville Fritillary nectaring on Bugle. This species is common on the Isle of Wight, along the southern under cliffs.

 

Underside of the Glanville Fritillary.

 

Male and female Marsh Fritillary, one of Britain's rarer butterflies, but it can occur in good numbers. I found them very plentiful on Islay, Inner Hebrides, a few years ago.

 

Although not a resident species, the Queen of Spain Fritillary does turn up in Britain every few years, and managed to become established at Minsmere, Suffolk, for a few years back in the 1990's.