# Glanville Fritillary (*Melitaea cinxia*)

The Glanville Fritillary is a beautiful butterfly with orange and black patterns on its wings. It loves to flutter around flowers and is often found in sunny meadows.

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands
- **Also known as:** Glanville Butterfly

![Glanville Fritillary](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/MelitaeaCinxia.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Christian Fischer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MelitaeaCinxia.jpg)

## Appearance

The Glanville Fritillary is a medium-sized butterfly with striking orange wings patterned with a checkered network of black lines and spots. Its underside is paler orange and cream, featuring rows of black dots within white-ringed orange spots, making it distinct from plainer butterflies.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Lepidoptera
- **Family:** Nymphalidae
- **Genus:** Melitaea

## Interesting facts

- Adult Glanville Fritillaries usually only live for about two weeks, flying quickly!
- Baby Glanville Fritillaries (caterpillars) huddle together in a silk tent to stay safe!
- Their eggs are laid in neat stacks, sometimes over a hundred at once!
- These butterflies have tiny bristles on their legs that help them taste their food!

## Special abilities

- **Overwintering Wanderers:** Glanville Fritillary larvae can overwinter in groups inside silken webs, which helps them survive cold temperatures until spring.
- **Host Plant Hunter:** Glanville Fritillary butterflies can specifically locate Ribwort Plantain plants to lay their eggs, ensuring food for their caterpillars.
- **Solar Powered Flight:** Glanville Fritillary has dark markings that help absorb sunlight, giving them energy to fly even on cooler days.

## Measurements & details

- **Wingspan:** 35-50 mm
- **Size:** 15-22 mm
- **Lifespan:** 10-20 days
- **Leg Count:** 6

## Diet & Feeding

Adults sip flower nectar for energy; caterpillars munch on plant leaves to grow big.

- **Age differences:** Adults feed on nectar, while larvae (caterpillars) feed exclusively on specific host plant leaves.
- **Primary Foods:** flower nectar, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica spicata, Cirsium arvense
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Depends on:** [Ribwort Plantain](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ribwort-plantain) (*Plantago lanceolata*) — Larvae eat leaves of this plant.
- **Depends on:** Spiked Speedwell (*Veronica spicata*) — A secondary host plant for its caterpillars.
- **Eats:** [Great Tit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-tit) (*Parus major*) — Feeds on butterfly larvae and adults.
- **Pollinates:** [Creeping Thistle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/creeping-thistle) (*Cirsium arvense*) — Adult butterflies visit for nectar.

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always watch butterflies from a distance and don't try to catch them.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Glanville Fritillary?

Compare the wing outline, spots, bands, eyespots and wing edges. The underside can look completely different from the top. Check for tails, the antennae and where the markings sit instead of relying on color alone. Butterfly Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### What is Glanville Fritillary's wingspan?

35-50 mm

### How big is Glanville Fritillary?

15-22 mm

### How long does Glanville Fritillary live?

10-20 days

### What does Glanville Fritillary eat?

Adults sip flower nectar for energy; caterpillars munch on plant leaves to grow big.

### Where is Glanville Fritillary usually found?

Grasslands

### How does Glanville Fritillary hunt?

Foraging

### How many legs does Glanville Fritillary have?

6

## More Insects

- [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*)
- [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*)
- [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*)
- [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*)

---

Source: [Glanville Fritillary: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/glanville-fritillary)