One of the smallest and darkest of our orange and brown fritillaries, but also one of the rarest. Restricted to woodland clearings at a few sites in Cornwall, Devon, Essex and Kent, and to sheltered valleys on Exmoor.
The species uses sunny, warm, and sheltered habitats of two main types: coppiced or newly felled woodland on acid soils where Common Cow-wheat is abundant; and sheltered heathland valleys on Exmoor up to 200-400m above sea level, where Common Cow-wheat grows as scattered plants on mineral soils amongst vegetation dominated by Bilberry. On a few sites in south-west England, it also breeds on unimproved grassland with abundant Ribwort Plantain and/or Germander Speedwell growing in short or sparse conditions.
It overwinters as a third instar larva
