North American Butterflies and Moths List

The definitive website on wildbirds & nature

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Montana

Alberta Fritillary (Boloria alberta)

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Alberta Fritillary (Boloria alberta [W. H. Edwards])

Wing span: 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 inches (3.8 - 4.5 cm).

Identification: Dull and dark. Males smoky orange; females smoky brown and pale orange; both with blurred markings.

Life history: Males patrol near the host plant, close to the ground on hillsides. Two years are required for development from egg to adult. First-stage caterpillars hibernate the first winter; older caterpillars the second winter.

Flight: One brood from late July-early August.

Caterpillar hosts: Probably alpine avens (Dryas octopetala).

Adult food: Flower nectar.

Habitat: Barren, windswept alpine ridges.

Range: Uncommon. British Columbia and Alberta south to northern Washington and northern Montana.

Conservation: Populations in the contiguous United States are extremely limited, occur on public lands, and should be conserved.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management needs: None reported.

References:

Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, 
    Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.

Tilden, J. W. 1986. A field guide to western butterflies. Houghton-Mifflin Co., 
    Boston, Mass. 370 pages, 23 color plates.

Author: Jane M. Struttmann

State and Regional References:

Elrod, M.J. 1906. The Butterflies of Montana. Bulletin of the University of
     Montana 30: 1-174.

Ferris, C.D. and F.M. Brown. 1980. Butterflies of the Rocky Mountain States. 
     University of Oklahoma Press. Norman.

Layberry, R.A., Hall, P.W. & Lafontaine, D.J., 1998.  The Butterflies of 
     Canada.  University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON.  280 pp. 

Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised 
     edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.

Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. 
     Privately published, Denver, Colo.

Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. 
     Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.

Alberta Fritillary (Boloria alberta)

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