Nature on our Doorsteps: Ireland’s largest butterfly

Rosaleen Dwyer is the County Heritage Officer at South Dublin County Council – every week she gives us an insight into nature on our doorsteps and the beautiful biodiversity of its plants and wildlife.

THE SILVER-WASHED Fritillary is Ireland’s largest resident butterfly.

Its wingspan can reach up to 80mm wide, which is just larger than our other big butterflies like the Large White or the Peacock.

A range of sizes can occur, however, and males are generally smaller than females.

This is a beautiful butterfly of woodland edges, where it flits in and out of any sunshine along paths or open areas amongst the trees.

Adults sip on nectar from any Brambles, Thistles, or Knapweeds growing in warm sunshine.

The silvery undersides of this butterfly’s hind wings gives it its name

It is a strong flier, quickly soaring high over the tops of the trees when it needs to.

The Silver-washed Fritillary receives its name from the colours on the undersides of its hind wings.

These are silvery green, with lines or bars of bright silver and with small faint spots.

The butterfly’s upper wings are an eye-catching bright orange, marked with patterns of dark brown spots.

The male also carries black streaks along some of the veins on its forewings.

These vein markings play a critical role in his courtship display.

Scent glands located along these darker veins emit a pheromone (a hormone) that is very effective in attracting females at mating time.

The food plant for the caterpillar of the Silver-washed Fritillary is the small demure Violet that blooms in springtime along sunny woodland edges and grassy banks.

Unusually amongst butterflies, the female Silver-washed Fritillary does not lay her eggs directly onto its caterpillar’s food plant.

Instead, in late summer she lays them in cracks in the bark of a nearby tree.

When the eggs hatch, the caterpillar eats its egg and then promptly hibernates over winter.

The caterpillars emerge the following spring and go in search of Violets.

They feed on the young shoots, leaves, and flowers of the plant.

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