Lesser Marbled Fritillary
VU

Lesser Marbled Fritillary

Brenthis ino

UnknownLCEULCEU

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

Overview

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

The Lesser Marbled Fritillary faces severe population declines across its European range due to habitat fragmentation and loss of traditional meadow management practices. Agricultural intensification has eliminated many flower-rich grasslands essential for both adult nectar sources and larval host plants, while abandonment of traditional hay cutting has led to scrubland encroachment. Climate change compounds these pressures by altering the timing of plant phenology relative to the butterfly's life cycle, disrupting critical breeding synchronization.

Threat summary

Habitat

The Lesser Marbled Fritillary inhabits flower-rich meadows, grasslands, and woodland clearings across mountainous regions of Europe, particularly favoring areas with abundant violet species that serve as larval host plants. Adults require diverse nectar sources including thistles, knapweeds, and brambles, typically found in traditionally managed hay meadows and forest edges between 500-2000 meters elevation.

Other threatened species in Nymphalidae

Scarce FritillaryCR

Scarce Fritillary

Euphydryas maturna

Unknown
EN

Altopedaliodes albonotata

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Two-tailed PashaVU

Two-tailed Pasha

Charaxes jasius

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False GraylingVU

False Grayling

Arethusana arethusa

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Threatened in Åland Islands

Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

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VU

Syndyas nigripes

Unknown
Chrysotus cupreusCR

Chrysotus cupreus

Unknown
VU

narulukkokiiluri

Syntormon filiger

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Lesser Marbled Fritillary classified as Vulnerable?
Lesser Marbled 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 Lesser Marbled Fritillary faces severe population declines across its European range due to habitat fragmentation and loss of traditional meadow management practices. Agricultural intensification has eliminated many flower-rich grasslands essential for both adult nectar sources and larval host plants, while abandonment of traditional hay cutting has led to scrubland encroachment. Climate change compounds these pressures by altering the timing of plant phenology relative to the butterfly's life cycle, disrupting critical breeding synchronization.
Where does Lesser Marbled Fritillary live?
Lesser Marbled Fritillary occurs in Åland Islands, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, and Belarus (plus 45 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 Lesser Marbled Fritillary?
The main threats to Lesser Marbled 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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