About Mellicta athalia celadussa (Fruhstorfer, 1910)
This subspecies, Mellicta athalia celadussa, refers to the heath fritillary butterfly. Heath fritillaries have a wingspan of 39–47 mm. The wing upperside is predominantly dark brown and orange brown, with orange-brown spots outlined by dark brown along and across the wing veins. The wings have a white fringe, through which the dark brown wing colour extends. The upperside of the body is the same dark brown as the wing colour, and the base of both wings is also dark brown. The wing underside features bands of red and off-white; every wing vein is dark brown, and all colour sections are delineated by dark brown. The pattern of white spots at the base of the hindwing, visible when the butterfly is at rest, is a key diagnostic feature for identification. These overall wing patterns are very similar to those of Melitaea cinxia. However, the dark brown bands on the wing underside are more distinct in the heath fritillary than they are in M. cinxia. The heath fritillary ranges across the Palaearctic region, stretching from western Europe to Japan. In Europe, it is not found in Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, southern Portugal, southern Spain, Mediterranean islands, or southern Greece. In the United Kingdom, it is restricted to specific locations: grasslands (abandoned hay meadows) in Cornwall and Devon, heathland on Exmoor, and coppiced woodland on acid soils in Kent and Essex. The populations in Essex are the result of reintroductions, and additional reintroductions are currently ongoing in other parts of the UK. In the late 1990s, the species was estimated to occupy just 0.2% of the area within 10-km grid squares covering its entire UK range. Its altitudinal range extends from sea level up to 2600 m. Within Europe, the heath fritillary lives in a wide variety of grassy, flowery habitats. These can be dry or damp, upland or lowland, and may have or lack shrubs or trees; common habitat types include woodland clearings and heathland. More specifically in England, the species uses three distinct habitat types: unimproved grassland on stony soils with abundant short (5–15 cm) or sparse swards of ribwort plantain or germander speedwell (or both), sometimes found as abandoned hay meadows; sheltered heathland in valleys with mineral soils, where common cow-wheat grows scattered among bilberry-dominated vegetation; and coppiced woodland, especially in clearings, with common cow-wheat growing on acid soils. In France, the species also occurs on unimproved hay meadows and pastures.
