Other Common Names
Purple Lesser Fritillary (subspecies B. c. grandis widespread in the north)
White Mountain Fritillary (subspecies B. c. montinus in New Hampshire)
some other subspecies have been given common names - see list at
The International Lepidoptera SurveySynonyms and other taxonomic changes
Includes
montinus as a subspecies, following the classification of
Opler and Warren and All-Leps (see
discussion in Taxonomy Forum). Many authors consider
B. montinus to represent a distinct more southerly species, and some still use the Eurasian name
B. titania for this "other" species. In this sense
B. chariclea is more northerly in distribution. There is some merit to this separation, as the two overlap in distribution and sometimes occur in the same area while remaining distinctly different. The name
grandis belongs to the more southerly entity.
Clossiana chariclea (Schneider, 1794)
Numbers
9 subspecies listed at
All-Leps, with subspecies
chariclea occurring only in the Old World
Size
wingspan 31-39 mm in United States (
nearctica.com); 32-44 mm in Canada (
CBIF)
Identification
Adult: upperside of wings orange with black spots, bars, and chevron-shaped markings, similar to many other Lesser Fritillaries.
The hindwing underside of the two boreal forest subspecies (grandis and rainieri) is purplish or reddish-brown with a broken yellowish to rust-colored band across the wing; it has white marginal spots capped with black chevron-shaped marks and a row of black spots above these.
The hindwing underside of the two tundra subspecies (arctica and butleri) has a distinct white band (sometimes silvered) across the middle, and the black submarginal spots and chevron marks are reduced or absent.
The New Hampshire subspecies montinus is dark rusty brown with no purplish markings.
Larva: body gray with black stripes and orange spines
Range
Alaska and all of Canada, including arctic islands; extends into the continental US in Maine, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Washington state, and south in the Rockies to New Mexico (see distribution maps for
Canada and
continental United States)
Habitat
Varies according to subspecies and location, but includes arctic tundra, taiga (boreal forest), acid bogs, and moist alpine meadows.
Season
Adults fly from June to August (one brood).
Food
Larvae feed on scrub willow, violets, Western Bistort (Polygonum bistortoides), and blueberry.
Life Cycle
It takes two years to develop in the colder parts of its range, but can be found every year in most areas.
Remarks
In the arctic, the western mountains, and in some bogs, it is the most abundant Lesser Fritillary.
In New Hampshire, there's no mistaking this species for any other fritillary, because of its geographic location atop Mount Washington and several other peaks in the White Mountains.
See Also
In Canada and the western US, the Freija Fritillary (
Boloria freija) has a black-and-white scalloped band and an elongate white triangular patch on the hindwing underside (see
two images at CBIF)
Other Lesser Fritillaries have different markings on the hindwing underside
Internet References
pinned adult images plus description, biology, flight season, larval and adult food, habitat, US distribution map (nearctica.com)
live adult image by Paul Opler, plus same text and map as at nearctica.com site above (butterfliesandmoths.org)
pinned adult image plus description, subspecies, distribution, foodplants, flight season, habitat, remarks (Butterflies of Canada, CBIF)
links to live adult images of subspecies montinus in New Hampshire (Barbara Spencer, Massachusetts)
