Boloria bellona, the meadow fritillary, 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.
The upperside of the wings is yellow orange with dark spots, lines, and zigzagged bands. The forewing is squared off just below the apex. A dark border on the hindwing 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 hindwing. It lacks the silver spots most lesser fritillaries have. The forewing 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 speciesedit
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 hindwing margin border, and has silver spots on the underside of the hindwing.
The bog fritillary is a bit smaller than the meadow fritillary, its wing bases are hairy, and on the underside of the hindwing 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 hindwings are a deep, rusty red.
Habitatedit
The meadow fritillary is frequently encountered in wet, open places, including pastures, fields, and streamsides.
Life cycleedit
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 one or two broods per year.
Brock, Jim P. and Kenn Kaufman. (2003). Butterflies of North America. Houghton Mifflin, New York. ISBN0-618-15312-8
Shull, Ernest M. (1987) The Butterflies of Indiana. by Indiana Academy of Science. ISBN0-253-31292-2
Cech, Rick and Guy Tudor (2005). Butterflies of the East Coast. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. ISBN0-691-09055-6
Wagner, David L. (2005). Caterpillars of Eastern North America. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. ISBN0-691-12143-5
Further readingedit
Glassberg, Jeffrey Butterflies through Binoculars: The West (2001).
Guppy, Crispin S. and Shepard, Jon H. Butterflies of British Columbia (2001).
James, David G. and Nunnallee, David Life Histories of Cascadia Butterflies (2011).
Pelham, Jonathan Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada (2008).
Pyle, Robert Michael The Butterflies of Cascadia (2002).
External linksedit
Butterflies and Moths of North America - Boloria bellona
Butterflies of America - Boloria bellona
January 01, 1970
boloria, bellona, meadow, fritillary, north, american, butterfly, brushfoot, family, nymphalidae, common, name, meadow, fritillary, also, used, european, butterfly, species, melitaea, parthenoides, meadow, fritillary, scientific, classification, domain, eukary. Boloria bellona the meadow fritillary 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 Meadow fritillary Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota 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 Contents 1 Description 2 Similar species 3 Habitat 4 Life cycle 5 Host plants 6 Image gallery 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksDescription edit nbsp Underside of the wings For a key to the terms used see Glossary of entomology terms The upperside of the wings is yellow orange with dark spots lines and zigzagged bands The forewing is squared off just below the apex A dark border on the hindwing 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 hindwing It lacks the silver spots most lesser fritillaries have The forewing 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 editSimilar 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 hindwing margin border and has silver spots on the underside of the hindwing The bog fritillary is a bit smaller than the meadow fritillary its wing bases are hairy and on the underside of the hindwing 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 hindwings are a deep rusty red Habitat editThe meadow fritillary is frequently encountered in wet open places including pastures fields and streamsides Life cycle editThe 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 one or two broods per year Host plants editHost plants used by the meadow fritillary Northern white violet Viola pallens Common blue violet Viola sororiaImage gallery edit nbsp Upperside nbsp Underside nbsp Underside of silver bordered fritillary for comparison nbsp Underside of the bog fritillary for comparisonReferences editBrock Jim P and Kenn Kaufman 2003 Butterflies of North America Houghton Mifflin New York ISBN 0 618 15312 8 Shull Ernest M 1987 The Butterflies of Indiana by Indiana Academy of Science ISBN 0 253 31292 2 Cech Rick and Guy Tudor 2005 Butterflies of the East Coast Princeton University Press Princeton New Jersey ISBN 0 691 09055 6 Wagner David L 2005 Caterpillars of Eastern North America Princeton University Press Princeton New Jersey ISBN 0 691 12143 5Further reading editGlassberg Jeffrey Butterflies through Binoculars The West 2001 Guppy Crispin S and Shepard Jon H Butterflies of British Columbia 2001 James David G and Nunnallee David Life Histories of Cascadia Butterflies 2011 Pelham Jonathan Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada 2008 Pyle Robert Michael The Butterflies of Cascadia 2002 External links editButterflies and Moths of North America Boloria bellona Butterflies of America Boloria bellona Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Boloria bellona amp oldid 1099283149, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
