Bug FAQEurasian Silver-bordered Fritillary
Boloria selene · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
Also called: Silver-bordered Fritillary, Silverbordered Fritillary, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
The Eurasian silver-bordered fritillary is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 35 to 44 mm, females being slightly larger than males. It lives in damp, grassy places such as wet grasslands, woodland clearings, moorland, dune slacks and coastal cliffs where its larvae feed on violets. It is found across central and northern Europe, parts of Asia to Korea, and in the Midwestern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewing looks similar to related species, while the hindwing underside has a distinct median band with silvery markings and dark cinnamon clouds.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males have a wingspan of 35 to 41 mm, females 38 to 44 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Prefers wet grasslands where violets grow, but also occurs in damp grassy habitats, woodland clearings, moorland, dune slacks and coastal cliffs.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Overwinters as a larva; eggs hatch in late summer to early autumn and caterpillars pupate from mid-May to August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Recorded in countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and US states like Iowa and the Dakotas.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The small pearl-bordered fritillary resembles the pearl-bordered fritillary.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 34 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Vermont, Illinois, Ohio, Idaho, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where does the Eurasian silver-bordered fritillary live?
It lives in wet grasslands, damp grassy areas, woodland clearings, moorland, dune slacks and coastal cliffs where violets are present.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the size difference between males and females?
Males have a wingspan of 35 to 41 mm, while females are slightly larger at 38 to 44 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_pearl-bordered_fritillary
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.