Currently unavailable. A large, strong, and impressive orange butterfly, checked and streaked with black, that inhabits woodlands and their outskirts. The valezina form, that accounts for a small proportion of female adults, has a greenish base colour and is quite spectacular in appearance. Larvae feed on dog violet in the wild, but hibernate soon after hatching, usually in the crevices of bark where the eggs are laid. There is one generation per year, with adults on the wing throughout July. Larvae can be reared easily on sleeved, potted dog violet, but ensure that you have a plentiful supply, as the larvae have large appetities in their latter stages. In the absence of dog diolet, viola ssp. and pansy serve as very useful alternatives.
Larval foodplants: dog violet (viola riviniana); other species of viola and pansy in captivity.
Rearing: tubs and low flowerpot cages.
