Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia)
Brushfooted Butterflies Family (Nymphalidae)
Regal Fritillary is a large striking orange and black butterfly, reaching a 4.1 in wingspan. Its upper forewings are orange with a few dark markings and in females white spots towards the outer edges with a black marginal band. Its dark hindwings have two bands of spots, which are both off-white in females, while the males are white for the inner band and orange to yellow in the outer band. The underside of the hindwings is olive brown to black with elongate silvery white spots. Females are slightly larger than males. The adults are present from June until September with only one generation per year. The females walk through the vegetation to lay their 2000 eggs singularly in the late summer. The caterpillars overwinter and start eating the following spring. They are brownish to black with several yellowish orange bands and stripes and short, branching, spiny, fleshy hairs. They have rounded, orangish red heads. Its caterpillars only eat violets. They pupate in May. The adults feed on many nectar plants, especially milkweeds and thistles, but coneflowers, blazing-stars, bergamots, clovers, goldenrods, and ironweeds are also important sources of nectar. Found only in the prairies of North America, especially the tallgrass prairies, mostly from Oklahoma to Wisconsin and west to Montana. Only a few populations occur east of the Mississippi River.
Listed as endangered in MD, MI, NY, OH, PA, & WI; threatened in IL; species of special concern CT, MN, MO, & VT; probably extripated in CT & MD; and historical in RI.
Copyright Brett Miley
