Meadow Fritillary
Boloria bellona (Fabricius, 1775)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
Identification: Forewing squared off below tip. Upperside orange-red with heavy black markings. Underside of hindwing patterned with orange and purple-brown; off-white basal patch and metallic silver spots lacking.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 2 inches (3.5 - 5.1 cm).
Life History: Males patrol meadows with a low flight, during warm daytime hours. Females lay eggs on twigs and plants other than the host violets. Caterpillars feed on violet leaves and hibernate when in the third to fourth stage of development.
Flight: Two to three broods from late April to mid-October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Violets including northern white violet (Viola pallens) and woolly blue violet (V. sororia).
Adult Food: Favorite nectar sources are composites, including black-eyed susans, dandelions, and ox-eyed daisy. Plants from other families, such as verbena and dogbane, are visited less often.
Habitat: Usually wet places marshes, wet aspen groves.
Range: Eastern British Columbia east through southern Canada and northern United States to Newfoundland; south to northcentral Oregon, central Colorado, northeast Tennessee, and northwest North Carolina. Due to its adaptability to disturbed habitats, the butterfly is expanding its range southward from the southeastern states.
Conservation: Not usually of conservation concern.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Alternate Scientific Names:
Clossiana bellona
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 2008 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 12, 2023
Submitted by: marllo
Region: Clark County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 14, 2023
Observation date: Oct 02, 2023
Submitted by: Jorie
Region: Fayette County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 08, 2023
Observation date: Sep 25, 2023
Submitted by: ELFredrickson
Region: Madison County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 28, 2023
Observation date: Sep 09, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 27, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Jul 09, 2023
Submitted by: Gillian Richards
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Jun 09, 2023
Submitted by: ships333
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 20, 2023
Observation date: Jul 30, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 01, 2023
Observation date: Jul 05, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 05, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 03, 2023
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 04, 2023
Observation date: Jun 29, 2023
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Lincoln County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 01, 2023
Observation date: Jun 24, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 28, 2023
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Grant County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 11, 2023
Observation date: May 23, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 23, 2023
Observation date: May 08, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 12, 2023
Observation date: May 07, 2023
Submitted by: KABerry
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 09, 2023
Observation date: Apr 25, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Apr 27, 2023
Observation date: Aug 25, 2022
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Feb 04, 2023
Observation date: Aug 29, 2022
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Dec 22, 2022
Observation date: Oct 12, 2022
Submitted by: Cardinal52
Region: Fayette County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2022
Observation date: Oct 14, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Sep 28, 2022
Submitted by: jwilkinson
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 05, 2022
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