Small pearl-bordered fritillary

Small pearl-bordered fritillary
in Wyre Forest, Worcestershire
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Boloria
Species:	B. selene
Binomial name
Boloria selene (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)

Boloria selene, known in Europe as the small pearl-bordered fritillary and in North America as the silver-bordered fritillary,^[1] is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found across Europe, Asia and North America, and feeds exclusively on violets in its larval stages.^[2] This species prefers wet grassland habitats, where its larval food source, violets, are found.^[3][4] It overwinters in its larval stage, and eggs hatch 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.^[3] Because of this, the small pearl-bordered fritillary has seen a serious drop in population across Europe,^[3] in some places as much as 80%. Factors including 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.^[5]