Argynnis hyperbius

[2] Male: Upperside: forewing rich orange yellow, hindwing paler yellow, with the following black markings: Forewing: cell with a basal short transverse streak, a medial broad oval loop, its outer margin sinuous; a broad transverse streak beyond cell not reaching the median nervure; a broad streak along the discocellulars; a zigzag discal series of large spots, angulated outwardly in interspace 4, inwardly in interspace 2, a minute spot at base of interspace 1; a somewhat diffuse large postdiscal spot below the costa in interspace 6; a postdiscal sinuous series of round spots, those in interspaces 1 and 4 very small; an inner complete subterminal sinuous series of round spots; an outer subterminal line, widening on the veins, and a terminal slender line.

Hindwing variegated with ochraceous, olivaceous-brown and silvery-white markings, the last for the most part narrowly margined on the outer side by short black lines; the veins prominently pale ochraceous; the medial silvery markings form a well-marked sinuous discal series, followed by a curved postdiscal series of five olivaceous round spots; each spot and the olivaceous-brown quadrate patch near base of cell with a minute white central spot; a slender black subterminal line widening at the veins, as on the forewing, followed by an ochraceous narrow lunular band and an outer slender black anteciliary line; the subterminal black line margined on the inner side by a series of: slender white lunules, bordered inwardly by a series of broad olivaceous-brown markings in the interspaces.

Differs from the male as follows: Upperside: apical half of forewing from about the middle of the costa obliquely to just above the tornus black, inwardly suffused with purple, crossed by a broad white band from costa to the subterminal series of black spots; four preapical white spots, the upper three bordering on each side and above a very obscure ocellus scarcely visible on the black background, an inner and an outer subterminal transverse series of slender white lunules.

Underside: forewing markings similar to those on the upperside, but the apex of the wing beyond the white oblique band ochraceous green.

Underside as in hyperbius but the ground colour on the forewing a paler shade of terracotta red; the olivaceous brown variegating the hindwing of a distinctly greener tint.

)[3] The Himalayas, in the outer ranges from Campbellpur in the Punjab to Sikkim; Oudh; Agra; Manbhum in Bengal; Assam, the Khasi Hills; Upper Burma; extending to China and Taiwan; Sumatra; Java.

[citation needed] The species was observed for the first time in the United Arab Emirates in January 2020, in Wadi Wurayah National Park, in the Hajar Mountains within the Emirate of Fujairah: a few Indian fritillaries were found flying with members of a physically similar species, the Plain tiger (Danaus chrysippus).

It is thought that they came there as opportunistic migrants because of the suitable conditions created by abundant rainfall in the country since October 2019, and that they would not stay for the summer.

Underside of wings
Female
Female
Argynnis hyperbius larva
Larva
Argynnis hyperbius from Wadi Wurrayah, United Arab Emirates
Argynnis hyperbius from Wadi Wurrayah, United Arab Emirates