Melitaea diamina, the false heath fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.

[2][3] These butterflies live in damp flowery meadows, woodland margins and rides from low to alpine levels up to 2200 m.[4] Melitaea diamina has a wingspan of 36–42 mm.

[5][6] This medium-sized species is highly variable in extent of black markings and in the diversification of ground colour on the upperside of the wings.

The upper side of the wings usually is black brown, with yellowish-orange ground colour and white chequered fringe.

The underside of the hindwings shows a submarginal series of white half moons and a few bands of creamy-white and orange checkers.

Above much darker than the various previous species, the black markings heavy, in the male only some small rounded spots on the forewing and a submarginal row of dots on the hindwing reddish yellow, in the female the outer half of the upperside variegated with ivory yellow and ochreous spots, the fringes being white in both sexes.

(67c) is a large erycinides race from Central Asia and certain places farther east, the upperside being spotted with dark in the male and with whitish yellow in the female, while the submarginal band of the underside is much darker brown than in European specimens, the margin of the forewing beneath being broadly shaded with dark brown.

The specimens figured are from — Larva of dictynna dark grey with yellow spines; the body with bluish dots,2 such dots on the head; on the back black longitudinal stripes.