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
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 2006 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 06, 2024
Submitted by: MelloK
Region: Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 20, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: McHenry County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Sep 20, 2024
Observation date: Jun 21, 2023
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 16, 2024
Observation date: Aug 05, 2024
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 13, 2024
Observation date: Aug 31, 2024
Submitted by: JimPurvis
Region: Tipton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 02, 2024
Observation date: Aug 07, 2018
Submitted by: Puccini
Region: Roberts County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 23, 2024
Observation date: Aug 03, 2024
Submitted by: J Tinsman
Region: Preston County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 05, 2024
Observation date: Jul 26, 2024
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 31, 2024
Observation date: Jul 15, 2024
Submitted by: Benjamin Miller
Region: Knox County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 28, 2024
Observation date: Jul 25, 2024
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Dutchess County, New York, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jul 27, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
Observation date: Jun 18, 2024
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 04, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 25, 2024
Submitted by: mikeminium
Region: Rush County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 08, 2024
Observation date: Jul 06, 2023
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: Dunn County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 22, 2024
Observation date: Jul 18, 2023
Submitted by: asand
Region: Iron County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jan 17, 2024
Observation date: Jul 08, 2023
Submitted by: billmaciejko
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jan 04, 2024
Observation date: Nov 17, 2023
Submitted by: Sunny Grove Farm
Region: Meigs County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 19, 2023
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
- 1 of 84
- next ›