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Species
Spotlight

Giant Silk
Moth Survey

REGAL FRITILLARY (Speyeria idalia)

Identification
Forewing is bright orange with sporadic dark markings. The female is slightly darker and has white dots near the apex of the forewing. The hindwing of both sexes is dark with an iridescent purplish-blue sheen and bold white spots. The underside is dark olive with bold white spots. The Regal is one of the most beautiful butterflies and is hard to confuse with other species.

Massachusetts Butterfly Club photographs

Kaufman's Butterflies of North America, page 158
Glassberg's Butterflies Through Binoculars, plate 27

Habitat in Vermont
Grasslands

Host Plant
Violets (Viola spp.)

Adult Food Preferences
Nectar from flowers of Milkweeds (Asclepias sp.), Thistles (Cirsium sp.), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), and Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum sp.)

U.S. Distribution

VBS Distribution
There are no current records in the state of Vermont. We have historic records from North Hartland (1890s) and Pomfret (17 July 1941).

Notes
An encounter with this remarkable butterfly is, unfortunately, unexpected in Vermont. It is extirpated from the state. The flight period in Massachusetts was from late June (much later on the islands) to the third week in September, peaking from mid-July to early September when both males and females were flying. Currently, only a few colonies remain east of the Mississippi River in Pennsylvania and western Virginia. It is a species of concern for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. All populations should be conserved.

Other Atlases
Connecticut (no records)
Massachusetts
U.S.A.
Canada