Pearl-bordered Fritillary - Foodplants and Eggs

Foodplants and Eggs

After mating, the female will lay her eggs on dead bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), or leaf litter near to violet plants – Common Dog–violet (Viola riviniana), Heath Dog–violet (Viola canina), Marsh Violet (Viola palustris). Sometimes they are laid on the leaves of the foodplant itself. They are laid singly, not in one large group such as the Marsh Fritillary. The mosaics that they prefer are typically one–third grass and two–-thirds bracken.

Eggs can be found on the foodplant from mid–May to the end of June. They are a pale yellow colour and can hatch after 10–14 days.