Size:
Wingspan is 2 5/8 - 4 1/8 inches.

Similar Species:
Aphrodite Fritillary
Great Spangled Fritillary

Habitat:
Wet meadows, marshes, wet fields, and mountain pastures with an abundance of tall prairie grass.

Range/Abundance:
Very rare. A few very local populations might still exist in the region.

Flight Period:
Adults fly from mid June until mid August in a single brood.

Larval Host Plants:
Violets including Bird's Foot Violet Viola pedata

Comments:
This is a beautiful butterfly, but next to impossible to find in the eastern US these days. The only reliable place in the east to see them is Fort Indiantown Gap, PA which is controlled by the military and watched over by the Nature Conservancy. There is a population at a US military armory in VA, but it’s completely off limits.

The top and bottom photos were taken at Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon Co., PA on July 08, 2003. The second photo was provided by Jane Ruffin and was also taken at Fort Indiantown.

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