Freyer's Fritillary
VU

Freyer's Fritillary

Melitaea arduinna

UnknownLCEULCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melitaea_arduinna

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Freyer's Fritillary faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and abandonment of traditional grazing practices in its mountain grassland habitats. Climate change poses an additional threat as warming temperatures force this cold-adapted species to retreat to higher elevations with increasingly limited suitable habitat. The butterfly's specialized dependence on specific host plants makes it particularly vulnerable to changes in vegetation composition caused by altered land management practices.

Threat summary

Habitat

Freyer's Fritillary inhabits mountain grasslands, alpine meadows, and flower-rich slopes at elevations typically between 1,000-2,500 meters in southeastern Europe. The species requires areas with specific host plants from the Plantaginaceae family and benefits from traditional extensive grazing that maintains the open, diverse grassland structure essential for its lifecycle.

Other threatened species in Nymphalidae

Siberian BrownCR

Siberian Brown

Coenonympha phryne

Unknown
Scotch ArgusCR

Scotch Argus

Erebia aethiops

Unknown
Scarce FritillaryCR

Scarce Fritillary

Euphydryas maturna

Unknown
EN

Altopedaliodes albonotata

Unknown

Threatened in Afghanistan

Asian HoubaraVU

Asian Houbara

Chlamydotis macqueenii

Declining
VU

Urial

Ovis vignei

Declining
EN

Malus komarovii

Declining
EN

Cheilosia morio

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Freyer's Fritillary classified as Vulnerable?
Freyer's Fritillary is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. Freyer's Fritillary faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and abandonment of traditional grazing practices in its mountain grassland habitats. Climate change poses an additional threat as warming temperatures force this cold-adapted species to retreat to higher elevations with increasingly limited suitable habitat. The butterfly's specialized dependence on specific host plants makes it particularly vulnerable to changes in vegetation composition caused by altered land management practices.
Where does Freyer's Fritillary live?
Freyer's Fritillary occurs in Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, and China (plus 19 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Freyer's Fritillary?
The main threats to Freyer's Fritillary are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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