SPRING JEWELS

Peer at the underside of this butterfly’s hindwing, and you’ll see the necklace of pearls for which it is named. Confusingly, there’s another species – the small pearlbordered fritillary – though that flies slightly later, usually peaking in June. Both are scarce, found only in isolated colonies and dependent on conservation work. The pearl-bordered fritillary needs patches of violets growing in deep mulch in woodland clearings or among bracken.

FIND OUT MORE Visitwww. butterflyconservation.org and www.ukbutterflies.co.uk