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Great Basin Fritillary (Speyeria egleis [Behr])
Wing span: 1 3/4 - 2 3/8 inches (4.5 - 6 cm).
Identification: Upperside bright to dull orange-brown with dark markings evenly spaced. Underside of hindwing has triangular, silver submarginal spots; other spots small with brown edging; spots may or may not be silvered.
Life history: Males patrol during the day for females, who lay eggs on leaf litter near violets. First-stage caterpillars hibernate unfed until spring, when they feed on violet leaves.
Flight: One brood from late June-August.
Caterpillar hosts: Violets including Viola adunca, V. nuttallii, V. purpurea, and V. walteri.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Mountain meadows, forest openings, exposed rocky ridges.
Range: North Dakota southwest through Oregon to California, south to Colorado.
Conservation: Not usually of concern but subspecies tehachapina has a very small range and could be devastated by a single event.
Speyeria egleis tehachapina has The Nature Conservancy rank of T3 -Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).
Speyeria egleis as a whole has the The Nature Conservancy Global Rank of G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management needs: Monitor subspecies tehachapina and evaluate for conservation action.
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
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