Wingspan: 33–46 mm
Butterflies' flight period: in two or three generations from March to October
Larval food plants: species from the genus Viola
Speckled fritillary (Issoria lathonia) is a readily recognizable, medium-sized butterfly from the fritillary family. Its name suits it well, as the underside of its hindwings is adorned with large pearly spots that gleam silver. Between the pearly spots in the center and along the outer edge of the hindwings, there is also a row of black eyespots with silver centers. The orange underside of the forewings is speckled with smaller black spots, and in the outer upper corner there are a few small silvery spots. If we view the speckled fritillary from above, we notice the characteristic indented outer edge of the forewings; the hindwings are also somewhat scalloped. The upperside of the wings is orange in color and speckled with pronounced black spots, and along the body they are covered by even darker hairs with a golden sheen.
Speckled fritillary can be observed in a variety of habitats, especially in warmer regions. In Notranjska it occurs locally, and the number of individuals increases in the summer when speckled fritillaries from the south also migrate here.
