Mellicta aurelia, or Nickerl's fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.

Dark russet-brown, so strongly marked with black that the ground-colour is reduced in the female to very small spots.

On the whole similar to Melitaea athalia, but smaller, with the black markings deeper in tint and heavier, the ground-colour darker, more brownish; beneath the marginal line before the fringes is absent or but very indistinct.

[2] The butterfly flies from June to August depending on the location.

The larvae feed on Plantago lanceolata, Melampyrum pratense and yellow rattle.