Boloria bellona

Meadow Fritillary
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Boloria
Species: B. bellona
Binomial name
Boloria bellona
(Fabricius, 1775)
Synonyms
  • Clossiana bellona
  • Clossiana ammiralis

The Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona) is a North American butterfly in the brushfoot family, Nymphalidae. The common name, Meadow Fritillary, is also used for a European butterfly species, Melitaea parthenoides.

Description

Underside of the wings

For a key to the terms used see Lepidopteran glossary

The upper side of the wings is yellow-orange with dark spots, lines, and zigzagged bands. The fore wing is squared off just below the apex. A dark border on the hind wing margin is lacking on most individuals. It has long palps. The underside of the wings are mottled with orange and purplish-brown. There is a yellowish band that runs across the center of the hind wing. It lacks the silver spots most lesser fritillaries have. The fore wing is smudged with orange and brown near the apex. The wingspan of the Meadow Fritillary is 3.5 - 5.1 cm (1 3/8 - 2 inches).

Similar Species

Similar species in the Meadow Fritillary's range include the Silver-bordered Fritillary, (Boloria selene), the Bog Fritillary, (Boloria eunomia), and the Purplish Fritillary, (Boloria chariclea).

The Silver-bordered Fritillary has rounder wings than the Meadow Fritillary, has a dark hind wing margin border, and has silver spots on the underside of the hind wing.

The Bog Fritillary is a bit smaller than the Meadow Fritillary, its wing bases are hairy, and on the underside of the hind wing are a series of bands and patches which are rust-red, yellow, and white.

The Purplish Fritillary is also a bit smaller than the Meadow Fritillary, and the underside of the hind wings are a deep, rusty red.

Habitat

The Meadow Fritillary is frequently encountered in wet, open places, including pastures, fields, and streamsides.

Life cycle

The female is the active flight partner. Females deposit greenish-yellow eggs near the host plant on twigs or leaves. Mature larvae are gray and black with small, light colored spines. The chrysalis is yellow-brown. The Meadow Fritillary overwinters as a larva. It has 1–2 broods per year.

Host Plants

Here are a list of host plants used by the Meadow Fritillary:

Image gallery

References

Further reading

External links