Wingspan: 30–40 mm
Flight period: in one generation from June to August
Larval host plants: elm-leaved meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), raspberry (Rubus idaeus), common goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus), medicinal burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis)
Marsh fritillary (Brenthis ino) is a medium-sized butterfly with a pattern of black spots and lines on an orange background on the upper side of the wings. At the outer edge of the upper side of the wings runs a black band, on its inner side there is a series of black spots of various sizes. The dark-colored part of the wings with a purple sheen is characteristic only for females; males have this part orange. The marsh fritillary has a beautifully colored underside of the hind wings. Its middle is adorned with a brown-violet band, on which are strung black ’eye-spots’ with a light center. The stripes on the inner part of the underside of the hind wings are yellow, and the veins are darkly emphasized.
The marsh fritillary lives near rivers or wetlands, in moist grassy areas surrounded by shrubs or sparse forest. In areas where the larval host plants thrive, it occurs from the sea to high mountains.
