Heath Fritillary
VU

Heath Fritillary

Melitaea athalia

UnknownLCEULCEU

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

Overview

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

The Heath Fritillary faces severe population declines across Europe due to habitat fragmentation and loss of traditional woodland management practices. Abandonment of coppicing and rotational forestry has eliminated the mosaic of clearings and semi-open areas essential for its host plants, particularly cow-wheat species. Agricultural intensification has destroyed flower-rich grasslands needed for adult nectar sources, while climate change is shifting suitable habitat ranges northward faster than the species can adapt.

Threat summary

Habitat

Heath Fritillaries inhabit woodland clearings, forest edges, and flower-rich grasslands where their larval host plants (primarily cow-wheat species) grow in semi-shaded conditions. They require a mosaic landscape of open areas for adult feeding and partially shaded zones for egg-laying and larval development.

Other threatened species in Nymphalidae

Scarce FritillaryCR

Scarce Fritillary

Euphydryas maturna

Unknown
EN

Altopedaliodes albonotata

Unknown
Two-tailed PashaVU

Two-tailed Pasha

Charaxes jasius

Unknown
False GraylingVU

False Grayling

Arethusana arethusa

Unknown

Threatened in Åland Islands

Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
VU

Syndyas nigripes

Unknown
Chrysotus cupreusCR

Chrysotus cupreus

Unknown
VU

narulukkokiiluri

Syntormon filiger

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Heath Fritillary classified as Vulnerable?
Heath 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. The Heath Fritillary faces severe population declines across Europe due to habitat fragmentation and loss of traditional woodland management practices. Abandonment of coppicing and rotational forestry has eliminated the mosaic of clearings and semi-open areas essential for its host plants, particularly cow-wheat species. Agricultural intensification has destroyed flower-rich grasslands needed for adult nectar sources, while climate change is shifting suitable habitat ranges northward faster than the species can adapt.
Where does Heath Fritillary live?
Heath Fritillary occurs in Åland Islands, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, and Belgium (plus 38 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 Heath Fritillary?
The main threats to Heath 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.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.