Devil’s bit scabious and marsh fritillary butterflies

Look out for devil’s bit scabious and marsh fritillary butterflies as pictured on the farm of Phil and Eleanor Cussen in Tipperary. Females lay hundreds of eggs on the underside of leaves. Larvae hatch and spin a web forming a protective silk sheet and feed on the leaves. Tiny yellowish brown larvae with conspicuous black heads change into darker larvae with conspicuous bristles and into brown larvae with a band of whitish speckles. Because they need move to adjoining plants, females don’t lay on isolated plants. Marsh fritillary butterfly is rare on the Red List and is dependent on devil’s bit scabious – both part of our native Irish biodiversity.

Devils bit scabious habitat and march fritillary butterfly