• Butterflies
• Dragonflies
• Damselflies
• Tiger beetles
• Hike with Mike

• The butterflies:
• Brushfooted Butterflies
  • Snouts
  • Heliconians and Fritillaries
  • True Brushfoots
  • Admirals and Relatives
  • Leafwings
  • Emperors
  • Satyrs
  • Monarchs
• Heliconians and Fritillaries
  • Gulf Fritillary
  • Variegated Fritillary
  • Great Spangled Fritillary
  • Aphrodite Fritillary
  • Regal Fritillary
  • Atlantis Fritillary
  • Bog Fritillary
  • Silver-bordered Fritillary
  • Meadow Fritillary
  • Frigga Fritillary
  • Freija Fritillary
  • Purplish Fritillary

Meadow Fritillary

(Boloria bellona)

The Meadow Fritillary is common butterfly throughout Wisconsin. In central Wisconsin I see this species often in barren habitat, with American Coppers. This species seems to like alighting on very light areas, and I have a numerous photos of this species sunning itself on dried grasses or reindeer moss like in the second photo.

Identifying characteristics: Above, this species is completely orange with black markings. Below the hindwing is very distinctive with a light, purplish hoariness over the outer half of this wing. Usually there are no distinct light areas near the leading edge of the wings, but occasionally there is a light area, as in the bottom photo.

Similar species: This species is most likely to be confused with the Frigga Fritillary because of the similar purplish sheen over the outer half of the hindwing below. The Frigga always has a light area by the leading edge and has lighter cells in the middle of the hindwing below. Above, the Frigga Fritillary is noticeably darker toward the body, while the Meadow still shows a lot of orange.

Habitat: Wet to dry meadows.

Flight: Two broods. This species can be found from early May through September. In Michigan this species has been seen on October 6.

Abundance: Found throughout the state. This species may be fairly common in an area, but usually they are seen singly. I have seen over 80 of these butterflies in a single day.

Recent Meadow Fritillary Sightings

Date seen	County	Reported by
Yesterday	Shawano	Rose Tiegs
Yesterday	Iowa	Ann Thering and Dave Eide
Tuesday	Burnett	S.J. Anderson
Monday	Green Lake	Mike Reese
07–12–2008	Iowa	SWBA Field Trip, 18 participants
07–10–2008	Portage	Wayne Anderson
07–09–2008	Dane	Ann Thering
07–06–2008	Dane	Joan Braune, Tod Highsmith and Mary Dykstra
07–05–2008	Wood	Ron Arnold
07–04–2008	Iowa	Ann Thering and Dave Eide
07–03–2008	Wood	Ron Arnold, Ann Thering, Mike Reese
07–01–2008	Dane	Ann Thering

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