Much of the research into the demography of butterflies conducted in Europe during the last few decades focused on rapidly declining or, on the other hand, expanding species, whereas species with stable trend tend to be neglected by researchers. Argynnis aglaja, a widely distributed inhabitant of semi-natural grasslands, represents a suitable model for studying patterns of landscape persistence of not-yet-threatened grassland insects. Using mark-recapture method conducted for one season on humid meadows in Western Bohemia, Czech Republic, we show that this large-bodied species is capable to form large and dense populations, reaching densities of over 250 individuals per hectare. The adults were relatively long-living, an average female longevity (11.8 d) was over twice as high as an average male longevity (4.6 d), with maxima being 22 (a male) and 30 (a female) days. The prolonged female lifespan is beneficial for a species that do not emerge with fully-matured eggs and oviposits singly over large areas. Modelling mobility, well-approximated by an inverse-power function, predicted that about one individual in a thousand would cross the distance of 1000 meters. We conclude that the satisfactory conservation status of A. aglaja stems from its capability to reach high local densities combined with a good dispersal power.
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