Side view of roange and green butterfly with white makings on hindwing and dark markings on forewing

Dark Green Fritillary. Photo: Ken Dolbear

Family: Fritillaries and Metalmarks
Size: Large   Wingspan: 66mm

The Dark Green Fritillary is on the increase in Dorset, which reflects the national trend.

Where to see

  • Habitat: Flower-rich unimproved grassland, often including some scrub, and on coastal cliffs and dunes. Occasionally in woodland rides and clearings.
  • Caterpillar foodplants: Violets, especially the Hairy and Common Dog violets in Dorset.
  • Best places: Found over a reasonable proportion of Dorset, though never in large numbers. Sites reporting good numbers are: Ballard Down, Bindon Hill, Fontmell Down and Melbury Down & Wood; it has been reported from Badbury Rings, which has good public access.

Distribution map

Dark Green Fritillary was recorded from these 1km squares in Dorset (2015-19).

    Key:
  •     1 record
  •     2-9 records
  •     10+ records
Explore the Atlas to see historical distribution trends for this species.

When to see

Mainly June, July and early August.

Sightings by month (last 5 years)*

Compare flight times for all species.

This year and last*


Browse the sightings archive.

What to look for

This is a large butterfly: around the same size as the Peacock.

The sexes are similar, though the female upperwings are lighter, especially towards the margins. Both have upperwings with an orange background with numerous dark marks. Both have underwings which are flushed with green and a number of prominent silver discs including a row of white dashes around the edge.

The Dark Green Fritillary could in theory be confused with the High Brown Fritillary but that butterfly is an endangered species in the UK and not found in Dorset.

Overwinter stage: Caterpillar

Photo gallery

Click thumbnails to view full-size images.

Orange butterfly with complicated series of black marks

Dark Green Fritillary male. Photo: Peter Lister

Orange butterfly with lots of black marks

Dark Green Fritillary male. Photo: John Woodruff

Pale orange butterfly with a complicated series of dark marks

Dark Green Fritillary female - note the lighter background colour. Photo: Peter LIster.

Pale oragne butterfly with prominent dark marks

Dark Green Fritillary female; note the lighter background colour. Photo: Ken Dolbear

Side view of a butterfly iwth hindwing partly orange, partly green, with white marks

Dark Green Fritillary, showing the green shading to the hind underwing. Photo: Ken Dolbear.

Butterfly with orange and green hind underwing, with white marks

Dark Green Fritillary underwing showing the large silver discs. Photo: Roger Peart.

Two orangey butterflies with white marks, in mating position

Dark Green Fritillaries mating. Photo: Mary Dorey.

Side view of butterfly on a bramble, with its underwings looking almost pale green, with white streaks

SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARY for comparison - note how the light wash of silver over the underwing compares with the solid silver discs of the Dark Green. Photo:Ken Dolbear

Find more Dark Green Fritillary related content, including news and photos.
*Note: The charts shown on this page are drawn only from casual sightings submitted to this website. Records from this website will be added to a lot more data collected throughout the year and used to compile the five-yearly Butterfly Atlases for Dorset and the UK.