Melitaea athalia
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The heath fritillary (Melitaea athalia) is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found throughout the Palaearctic from western Europe to Japan, in heathland, grassland, and in coppiced woodland. Its association with coppiced woodland earned it the name "woodman's follower" in parts of the UK. It is considered a threatened species in the UK and Germany, but not Europe-wide or globally.
Heath fritillaries have a wingspan of 39–47 mm. The upperside is predominantly dark brown and orange brown, with the orange-brown spots delineated by dark brown (along and across the wing veins); there is a white fringe to the wings through which the dark brown extends. The upperside of the body is a similar dark brown to the colour on the wing, and the base of both wings is dark brown. The underside shows bands of red and (off-)white, again with each vein dark brown and each colour delineated by dark brown. The pattern of white spots at the base of the hindwing (visible at rest) is diagnostic for identification.
These wing patterns are very similar to the appearance of Melitaea cinxia. However, the dark brown bands on underside of the wings are more distinct in the... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 3 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 5 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 8 | Hohe Tauern National Park | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 9 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 10 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Heath Fritillary sighting in Białowieża National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 111th most-seen of the 158 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Heath Fritillary in Białowieża National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months. That is one of Białowieża National Park's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain against 35 mm in March.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Heath Fritillary sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 10
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Heath Fritillary sightings, Białowieża National Park ranks 7th at about 10%. The best odds are in Mercantour National Park (France, about 30%), Biebrza National Park (Poland, about 30%) and Cévennes National Park (France, about 20%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Heath Fritillary that you can see in Białowieża National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Silver-Washed Fritillary (about 40%), Map (about 40%) and European Comma (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Heath Fritillary is recorded against all the insects logged in Białowieża National Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
