Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona)

Description: A small orange fritillary. The upperside is pale orange and lacks a dark border. The forewing has a distinctive squared or “cut-off” appearance and the hindwing underside is mottled dull purple and brown. The only other Boloria species without white spots below, the Arctic Fritillary, has rounded forewings, a heavy dark border above, and a bolder purple and brown pattern with several off-white patches beneath. Wingspan: 35 to 44 mm.

Maritime Distribution: Western and central New Brunswick. For Atlas results click here.

Provincial Ranks: NB: S3. NS: -. PEI: -.

Flight Period: Two generations, from mid May to mid June and mid July to mid August.

Host Plant: Various violets (Viola spp.).

Notes: Found mainly in open fields, and along rivers and transmission lines. It frequently visits flowers, especially Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) and Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota). No valid records of this species are known from Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia record published in Butterflies of Canada (Layberry et al., 1998) has proven to be from Ontario.