Purplish Fritillay
Boloria chariclea helena (W. H. Edwards, 1871)
Family: Nymphalidae
Status: Very rare stray or resident, possibly extirpated.
NENHP Ranking: Not listed
Range: Most of North America north of the Canadian border, as well as higher elevation environments in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and northern New Mexico.
Larval Hostplant(s): Likely a violet (Viola) species if it were to breed in Nebraska.
Broods/Flight Times: There is one flight annually in July and August in the Colorado Rockies.
Overwintering: As larvae.
Habitat: This butterfly inhabits high altitudes in Colorado.
Avg. Wingspan: 1 3/16 – 1 1/2 inches
Found at: The one Nebraska specimen was found southeast of Crawford in Dawes County in 1984.
Similar Species:
Notes: Clossiana chariclea has, until recently, been referred to as Clossiana titania (which has been determined to be isolated to the Old World) in most literature. This is a curious record for Nebraska, as the species is normally found at northern latitudes or higher elevations.
Purplish Fritillary, Matthew Brust
