Melitaea athalia (Rottemburg, 1775)
(Heath Fritillary)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesMelitaea athalia (Heath Fritillary)
GenusMelitaea (heath fritillary butterflies)
TribeMelitaeini (heath and marsh fritillary butterflies)
SubfamilyNYMPHALINAE (nymphalid butterflies)
FamilyNYMPHALIDAE (brown, fritillary and vanessid butterflies)
SuperfamilyPAPILIONOIDEA (butterflies)
SuborderGLOSSATA (a suborder of moths)
OrderLEPIDOPTERA (butterflies and moths)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Melitaea athalia (Heath Fritillary) :
1: Melitaea athalia (Heath Fritillary)
6 Jun 2004 OSGR: TR16 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ E Vice County: East Kent (VC 15) England
Two larvae resting on a dead birch leaf next to Cow-wheat
Image 1: Two larvae - close-upImage 2: Two larvae - close-up (2)
2: Melitaea athalia (Heath Fritillary)
6 Jun 2004 OSGR: TR16 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ E Vice County: East Kent (VC 15) England
Larva preparing to pupate on Cow-wheat
Image 1: Dorsal - close-upImage 2: Lateral - close-upImage 3: Lateral - enlarged
3: Melitaea athalia (Heath Fritillary)
6 Jun 2004 OSGR: TR16 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ E Vice County: East Kent (VC 15) England
Image 1: Side view

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Bush, R. 2004 Heath Fritillary Vol 15, No. 3 Page: 204
Revels, R./Bush, R. 2006 Heath Fritillary and caterpillar Vol 17 (6) Page: 400
Wharton, T. 2003 Heath Fritillary (underside) Vol 15, No 2 Page: 126

Melitaea athalia (Heath Fritillary) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Melitaea athalia (Heath Fritillary)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 1 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Melitaea athalia (Heath Fritillary)
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