Dingy Fritillary
Boloria improba (Butler, 1877)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
Identification: Small. Upperside dull orange-brown, darker at wing bases; markings faded and indistinct. Underside hindwing dark orange-brown at base, often grayish on outer half. Hindwing with ivory white costa and ivory dash between costa and cell.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 inches (3 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Males patrol near the ground in the vicinity of host plants. Eggs are laid singly on stems of host plant; caterpillars eat leaves. Two years are required for development from egg to adult; newly hatched caterpillars hibernate the first winter, fourth-stage caterpillars the second winter.
Flight: One brood from late June-early August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Dwarf willows including Salix arctica and S. reticulata nivalis.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Moist tundra with dwarf willows.
Range: Holarctic. Alaska east through Northwest Territories to Baffin Island, south to Yukon Territories and northern British Columbia. Isolated populations in central Canadian Rockies, southwest Wyoming, and southwest Colorado.
Conservation: The Uncompahgre Fritillary (Boloria improba acrocnema) is a listed United States Endangered Species found in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. The Uncompahgre Fritillary has The Nature Conservancy Global Rank of G1 - Critically imperiled globally because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences, or very few remaining individuals), or because of some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable to extinction. (Critically endangered throughout its range). The other subspecies of Boloria improba have The Nature Conservancy Global Rank of G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
NCGR:
Management Needs: Monitoring and recovery actions are ongoing for the Uncompahgre Fritillary..
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20200718-429.jpg?itok=TonzLur9)
Observation date: Jul 18, 2020
Submitted by: jsaunders260
Region: Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 09, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/fritillarydenalipossdingy.jpg?itok=Dr7g0nLq)
Observation date: Jun 26, 2015
Submitted by: kz
Region: Denali, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 09, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/1m7a7507.jpg?itok=peqW8Ffq)
Observation date: Jul 01, 2015
Submitted by: janazak
Region: Northwest Territories, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 06, 2015
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2814_29.jpg?itok=9Hy3xWX_)
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA
Region:
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
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Observation date: Jun 21, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R/R)
Region: Yukon-Koyukuk, Alaska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
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Observation date: Jun 28, 1995
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (F/P)
Region: Northwest Arctic, Alaska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
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Observation date: Jun 30, 2002
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (PR)
Region: Yukon-Koyukuk, Alaska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
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Observation date: Jun 24, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (JLH)
Region: North Slope, Alaska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
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Observation date: Jun 08, 1995
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (F/P)
Region: Denali, Alaska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
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Observation date: Jun 22, 1997
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (F/P)
Region: Denali, Alaska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Fremont County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Saguache County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Sublette County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
![](/sites/default/files/no-image-icon-480x360.png)
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Alaska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
![](/sites/default/files/no-image-icon-480x360.png)
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: San Juan County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004