Sallow vs Polar Fritillary

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sallow Polar Fritillary
Scientific Name Xanthia icteritia Boloria polaris
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Noctuidae Nymphalidae
Size 30-36 mm wingspan 30-38 mm wingspan
Habitat Hedgerows Tundra & Arctic
Diet Herbivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe Canadian Arctic, northern Alaska, Greenland, Svalbard, northern Scandinavia, Siberia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sallow

A pretty golden-yellow moth found in autumn, associated with sallow trees. Adults can be attracted to sugar or wine rope. Larvae feed on sallow catkins before descending to feed on low plants.

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Did You Know?

Larvae begin life eating sallow catkins high in trees, then descend to complete development on ground-level plants.

Polar Fritillary

A small butterfly with warm orange upperwings marked with dark spots and zigzag lines. The underside has a distinctive pattern of white and reddish-brown patches. It is restricted to true Arctic tundra habitats.

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Did You Know?

This is one of the most northerly butterflies in the world, found within a few hundred kilometers of the North Pole on Ellesmere Island.