About Melitaea arduinna Esper, 1783
Melitaea arduinna Esper, 1783, commonly known as Freyer's fritillary, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. Its distribution ranges from southeastern Europe, across Asia Minor, to central Asia and the Altai. This butterfly inhabits steppe-covered slopes. The wingspan of adults measures 45–50 mm. This species is similar to Melitaea cinxia; like M. cinxia, it bears black dots in the submarginal reddish yellow spots of the hindwing. However, M. arduinna differs in several traits: its forewing is much more obtuse and broader distally, it is usually duller and more brownish in color, its distal marginal area is darker, its black markings are strongly developed, its median area has fewer markings, and its black lunate lines are partly obsolescent, and partly made up of irregular remnants. The underside, especially on the hindwing, is essentially lighter because the black markings are broken up and reduced. The larvae of this species feed on Centaurea species, including Centaurea behen. Larvae overwinter in a web nest on their host plant. Pupation occurs in a pupa that is attached to the stem of the host plant just above the ground.
