Euphydryas aurinia used to be a common resident at the beginning of the 20th century, but intensification of agricultural land use led to its extinction; the last population disappeared in 1982. Succisa pratensis was used as larval foodplant on wet grasslands and Scabiosa columbaria, on limestone grasslands. It flew in one generation from mid-May until mid-June and hibernated as a half-grown caterpillar. Reintroduction is no option at present because there are no longer any large, wet, nutrient-poor grasslands left in the Netherlands. Furthermore, populations of this butterfly occurring on wet grassland are rare elsewhere in Europe, making the choice of a source population difficult.

Bron

Auteur(s)

Wynhoff, I., Groenendijk, D., Swaay, C. van, Bosveld, M., Bos, F.

Publicatie

• Bos, F., M. Bosveld, D. Groenendijk, C. van Swaay & I. Wynhoff 2006. De dagvlinders van Nederland, verspreiding en bescherming. Nederlandse Fauna 7. De Vlinderstichting, Wageningen en Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum Naturalis, European Invertebrate Survey, Nederland.