Heath fritillary  (Mellicta athalia)

One of our rarest butterflies, the heath fritillary is a light orange-brown in colour with dark brown markings; the underside is pale yellow with dark orange markings and a number of white spots (1). The caterpillar grows up to 2.4 centimetres in length, and has a black body with whitish spots, orange spines and a black head with white marks (2).