Northwestern Fritillary
Speyeria hesperis (W.H. Edwards, 1864)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
Identification: Quite variable. Upperside orange-brown, often darker at base, with black outer margins especially on forewing; male has black scales on veins. Underside of hindwing with basal disk or light brown orange-brown with pale submarginal band; spots silvered or unsilvered.
Wing Span: 2 - 2 3/4 inches (5 - 7 cm).
Life History: Males patrol during the day in open areas. Eggs are laid singly on leaf litter near host plant. Unfed first-stage caterpillars overwinter, emerging in spring to feed on leaves.
Flight: One flight from June-October, mainly July-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Violets.
Adult Food: Flower nectar including Gaillardia, rabbitbrush, purple mints, and shrub cinquefoil.
Habitat: Forest openings, meadows, and open hillsides.
Range: Western mountains from central western Alaska, Yukon, and Northwest Territories south to central California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually of conservation concern. Subspecies elko Austin and hanseni Emmel and Emmel are of conservation concern because of their small ranges. The former may be threatened by invasive alien weeds including smooth brome and/or cheatgrass.
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
Pollinator Week was June 20-26, 2022!
Butterflies and moths are accidental pollinators of many flowering plants. While most species do not have special structures to carry pollen, they do brush against pollen and transfer it to other flowers.
Did you know? The Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas) flies close to the ground and uses its short proboscis to probe flowers of wild strawberry, white sweet clover, and other low-lying plants.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 459 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 28, 2021
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 31, 2021
Observation date: Jul 25, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 31, 2021
Observation date: Jul 28, 2021
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 30, 2021
Observation date: Jun 27, 2021
Submitted by: Canyon Wren
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2021
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Summit County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 25, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2021
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Summit County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 25, 2021
Observation date: Jul 15, 2021
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 22, 2021
Observation date: Jul 10, 2021
Submitted by: Chrustay
Region: Torrance County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 09, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 08, 2021
Submitted by: Robert C. Turner
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 10, 2021
Observation date: Jun 15, 2021
Submitted by: asabspade
Region: Glenn County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 08, 2021
Observation date: Jul 04, 2021
Submitted by: Chrustay
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 08, 2021
Observation date: Jul 01, 2021
Submitted by: Reneerob17
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 08, 2021
Observation date: Jun 15, 2021
Submitted by: asabspade
Region: Glenn County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 07, 2021
Observation date: Jun 17, 2021
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 27, 2019
Submitted by: gasigr
Region: Lane County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 17, 2021
Observation date: Aug 26, 2019
Submitted by: satchmo0802
Region: Klamath County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 17, 2021
Observation date: Jun 20, 2020
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Apr 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 20, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Mineral County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Nov 28, 2020
Observation date: Jun 19, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Archuleta County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Nov 25, 2020
Observation date: Jul 17, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 23, 2020
Observation date: Jul 14, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 22, 2020
Observation date: Jul 11, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 20, 2020
Observation date: Jul 22, 2020
Submitted by: pnesterenko
Region: El Paso County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Nov 15, 2020
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