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 49 - 72 of 1989 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 11, 2021
Submitted by: Kzfisherman
Region: McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 31, 2022
Observation date: May 17, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 19, 2022
Observation date: May 10, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 12, 2022
Observation date: May 04, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 10, 2022
Observation date: May 05, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Montour County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 10, 2022
Observation date: Apr 24, 2022
Submitted by: Paula_Alaine
Region: Alleghany County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 24, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2013
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jan 12, 2022
Observation date: Apr 15, 2017
Submitted by: monstermoose
Region: Montgomery County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 05, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2018
Submitted by: scottj4hops
Region: Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 05, 2022
Observation date: Jul 03, 2019
Submitted by: roseanna
Region: Casey County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 02, 2022
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: Shawnann74
Region: Oldham County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 07, 2021
Submitted by: Tom Wiseman
Region: Fayette County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 01, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2021
Submitted by: Cardinal52
Region: Fayette County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 04, 2021
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Harlan County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 01, 2022
Observation date: Apr 22, 2018
Submitted by: Darrin Frye
Region: Washington County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 05, 2021
Observation date: Jul 10, 2019
Submitted by: AshNota
Region: Washington County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Sep 15, 2019
Submitted by: aclouate
Region: Carroll County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Sep 05, 2015
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Jul 07, 2021
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 24, 2021
Observation date: Sep 29, 2021
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Guthrie County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: Eric Wood
Verified date: Oct 24, 2021
Observation date: Sep 29, 2021
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 30, 2021
Observation date: Sep 24, 2021
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 26, 2021
Observation date: Sep 25, 2021
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 26, 2021
Observation date: Sep 20, 2021
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 20, 2021
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