Meadow Fritillary

Boloria bellona

Identification: Small—1.6” (between the size of Pearl Crescent and American Lady). Above: FW and HW bright orange with many distinct, black marks; little black along outer margins. FW tip somewhat squared-off. Below: Mottled orange, yellow, and violet.

NJ Status and Distribution: Resident. Fairly widely distributed but in small numbers in Sussex, Warren, Morris and Hunterdon, and Mercer counties; in South Jersey reported only from Salem County. Formerly more common.

Habitat: Open, sunny, uplands and wetlands with abundant wildflowers such as thistles and mints. Often found in hayfields. Does not appear to nectar as often as the larger fritillaries.

Flight Period: Three broods from mid-April to mid-October, with peak flight times in May, early summer, and late summer. Timing of adult emergence varies slightly among years and locations. Extreme dates: North Jersey 4/16—10/18; South Jersey 6/4—9/30.

Caterpillar Food Plants: Violets (Viola).

Overwintering Stage: Caterpillar.

Good Locations: White Lake NRA, Wallkill River NWR, Flatbrook-Roy WMA, Water Wheel Farm (Fredon Twp., Sussex Co.), Supawna Meadows NWR, Featherbed Lane/Kings Highway (Salem Co.).

Comments: Numbers fluctuate from year to year and between broods.

Walpack, Sussex Co., NJ, 6/14/10.

Flatbrook-Roy WMA, Sussex Co., NJ, 6/18/10, on Bird's-foot Trefoil.

A variety of violet species, such as Common Blue Violet (V. sororia), are used as caterpillar host plants by Meadow Fritillary.