Small pearl-bordered fritillary

Description

The small pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria selene),called the silver-bordered fritillary in North America,is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.The small pearl-bordered fritillary is found across Europe and North America,consuming exclusively violets in its larval stages.This species is well known to live in wet grassland habitats,where its larval food source,violets,are found.It overwinters in its larval stage,and lays eggs to be hatched in the late summer to early autumn.Members of this species are prey for multiple types of birds and other insects.Due to modern agriculture,most of the grassland habitats that sustain Boloria selene are fragmented or lost all together in favor of farmland.Because of this,the small pearl-bordered fritillary has seen a serious drop in population across Europe,in some places as much as 80%.Factors like limited habitat range,low dispersal rate,and strong food specialization also contribute to population loss.Despite modern conservation efforts,the number of small pearl-bordered fritillaries is still declining.The North American populations appear to be affected in the same way,at least in the continental United States.