Boloria bellona
Encyclopedia
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
.
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).
), and the Purplish Fritillary, (Boloria montinus).
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.
near the host plant on twigs or leaves. Mature larva
e are gray and black with small, light colored spines. The chrysalis is yellow-brown. The Meadow Fritillary overwinter
s as a larva. It has 1-2 broods per year.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in the brushfoot family, Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
. The common name, Meadow Fritillary, is also used for a European butterfly species, Melitaea parthenoides
Melitaea parthenoides
The Meadow Fritillary is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. Note that the common name Meadow Fritillary, is also used for the North American species Boloria bellona...
.
Description
Glossary of Lepidopteran terms
This glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....
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 eunomiaBoloria eunomia
The Bog Fritillary or Ocellate Bog Fritillary is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.-Description:The wings are orange-brown with dark markings. The color of the hindwings are orangish-brown with a tan postmedian band followed by a row of round silver spots. The length of the forewings is...
), and the Purplish Fritillary, (Boloria montinus).
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 eggsEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
near the host plant on twigs or leaves. Mature larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e are gray and black with small, light colored spines. The chrysalis is yellow-brown. The Meadow Fritillary overwinter
Overwinter
To overwinter is to pass through or wait out the winter season, or to pass through that period of the year when “winter” conditions make normal activity or even survival difficult or near impossible...
s as a larva. It has 1-2 broods per year.
Host Plants
Here are a list of host plants used by the Meadow Fritillary:- Northern White Violet, Viola pallens
- Common Blue Violet, Viola sororiaViola sororiaViola sororia, known commonly as the Common Blue Violet, is a stemless herbaceous perennial plant that is native to eastern North America...