Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Coronis Fritillary
Speyeria coronis (Behr, 1864)


Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
Identification: Upperside tawny to orange-brown with black markings. Underside of hindwing with inwardly rounded silver spots in marginal row; other silver spots are elongated.
Wing Span: 2 - 3 3/8 inches (5 - 8.6 cm).
Life History: Males patrol open areas to find females. Females may delay egg-laying until late summer. Eggs are laid singly on litter near violets. First-stage caterpillars overwinter unfed; in the spring they feed on violet leaves.
Flight: One flight from mid-June to September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Violets including Viola nuttallii, V. purpurea, V. douglasii, and V. beckwithii.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Mountain slopes, foothills, prairie valleys, chaparral, sagebrush, forest openings.
Range: Southern Washington east through the Great Basin to central South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado; south through Nevada and California to northwest Baja California Norte.
Conservation: Not usually required.
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