About Speyeria aglaja (Linnaeus, 1758)
This description of Speyeria aglaja, the large fritillary, originally published in Seitz, notes that the species is fiery reddish yellow on its upper side, with the male's basal area always appearing duller. The markings of the large fritillary are consistent: a black margin, a row of deep black but thin marginal arcs, and a very straight central row of dots, where only the last dot on the forewing is shifted toward the outer edge. Between this central row of dots and the base, six thin black transverse bands extend from the subcostal vein into the wing. The underside of the hindwing has characteristic features: it has numerous silver spots resting on a base that is partly verdigris and partly leather-yellow. Unlike the forms of the Niobe fritillary (Fabriciana niobe) and high brown fritillary (Fabriciana adippe), the large fritillary never has a row of ocelli in its hindwing marginal area.
