Observation date: September 01, 2018
Submitted by: A_baldini
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: Time: 11:11 a.m. Temperature: ~80 degrees. Wind: ~7 mph. Sky: Partly cloudy. Habitat: Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, a vast expanse of shortgrass prairie filled with hills, buttes, rock formations, arroyos, and small canyons. Notes: Besides the Pawnee Skippers, these fritillaries were the most common species of butterfly at Soapstone. At most times, there was at least one of these fritillaries on every single rabbitbrush around the parking lot area, often two or more. However, when we hiked away from the parking lot and rabbitbrush, they quickly became much less common. I was surprised they were still this abundant so late in the season. There may have been a couple Variegated Fritillaries mixed in, but I never got a close look at one to be sure.
Status: Resident
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: November 10, 2018
Coordinator notes: That is the Coronis Fritillary. Females fly a long time as they aestivate before laying eggs (aestivate=summer diapause). This species like Edwards' Fritillary use dryland violets (probably V. nutallii in the foothills) and both are fairly common in late summer feeding on rabbitbrush blooms. From the upperside you can see in your first photo, the black border on the wings is not solid. It is solid and thick on female edwardsii. On the underside you'll notice that coronis here has a buff submargin......edwardsii has essentially none on either male or female. Mike
