Edwards' Fritillary (Speyeria edwardsii [Reakirt])
Wing span: 2 1/2 - 3 3/8 inches (6.3 - 8.6 cm).
Identification: Upperside of both wings tawny orange with black border and markings. Underside green or gray-green with narrow buff submarginal band and metallic silver markings.
Life history: Males patrol in open areas for females. Females lay eggs on litter near violets. First-stage unfed caterpillars hibernate; in the spring they eat host plant leaves.
Flight: One brood from late June to early September.
Caterpillar hosts: Violets including Viola nuttallii and V. adunca.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Short-grass prairie, foothills, meadows, fields, road edges.
Range: Short-grass prairie and western Rocky Mountains from southern Alberta east to the central Dakotas and western Nebraska, then south to northeastern New Mexico.
