Boloria bellona

Boloria bellona is a year round resident across the northern United States and southern Canada, from Labrador south to the mid-Atlantic, west to central British Columbia, with several smaller separate populations in central US states (Scott 1986). Habitats are moist meadows in upper transition to Hudsonian zones. Host plants are restricted to one herbaceous genus, Viola (Violaceae). Eggs are laid haphazardly around the host plant. Individuals overwinter as third- or fourth-instar larvae. There are variable numbers of flights (up to three) each year depending on latitude between May15- early Sep. (Scott 1986).

The upperside is bright orange with multiple rows of black spots, and the hindwing underside is purple-brown, lacking prominent pale markings. The spring brood has a slightly darker upperside. Most similar to B. epithore and B. frigga, it can be separated by the shape of the forewing outer margin: it is slighlty angled out, giving a squared-off look. The forewing is evenly rouned in epithore and frigga.  Subspecies jenistorum (=jenistae), described from Rivercourse, Alberta (Kondla 1996), occurs throughout the province. 

Southern Yukon to southerm Montana and northen Washington, east tot the Atlantic coast. Isolated populations occur in the southern Rocky Mountain states (Scott 1986).

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) Northwest Territories and British Columbia east to Quebec, and south to Washington, Colorado, Missouri, North Carolina. Range of this species is expanding to the south and east.

Open woodlands and meadows, particularly in the parkland and foothills region.

Comments: Eastward mostly in moist, but not really wet, artificial grasslands such as hay meadows, pastures, roadsides usually on rich soils but also in some natural wetlands such as sedge meadows (e.g Layberry et al., 1998; Iftner et al., 1992). Westward in more natural habitats such as moist meadows, aspen parklands and prairies (Opler, 1999).

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

The larvae are variously reported to feed on violets (Viola spp.), but there are no confirmed records for Alberta. In BC it is asociated with Viola canadensis (Guppy & Shepard 2001).

Boloria bellona Fabricius: Nymphalidae, Lepidoptera
(observations are from Graenicher; this butterfly is the Meadow Fritillary)

Asteraceae: Eupatoriadelphus purpureus sn (Gr), Eupatorium perfoliatum sn (Gr), Rudbeckia hirta sn (Gr)

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

Comments: Appears to be secure across most of its range except for IA, NE, and WA.

10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Males patrol for females (Scott, 1986).

Two flights each season, peaking mid May to mid June and late July to early August.

The white eggs are laid near, but not often on, the larval hostplants (Scott 1986), and hatch in about 11 days (Bird et al. 1995). Mature larvae look much like those of B. selene, but have a purplish cast to them (Scott 1986, Guppy & Shepard 2001). The third or fourth instar larvae (of the second brood) overwinter (Scott 1986). This is our most common and widespread Boloria, and can be found in mesic habitats as well as dry prairie and pastures.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 3
Specimens with Barcodes: 16
Species With Barcodes: 1

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 2 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

Download FASTA File

Not of concern.

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: Widespread and abundant; range expanding in midwest and mid-Alantic.

Other Considerations: Adapted to hayfields.

Degree of Threat: D : Unthreatened throughout its range, communities may be threatened in minor portions of the range or degree of variation falls within natural variation

Global Protection: Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed