Alberta Fritillary (Boloria alberta [W. H. Edwards])
Wing span: 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 inches (3.8 - 4.5 cm).
Identification: Dull and dark. Males smoky orange; females smoky brown and pale orange; both with blurred markings.
Life history: Males patrol near the host plant, close to the ground on hillsides. Two years are required for development from egg to adult. First-stage caterpillars hibernate the first winter; older caterpillars the second winter.
Flight: One brood from late July-early August.
Caterpillar hosts: Probably alpine avens (Dryas octopetala).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Barren, windswept alpine ridges.
Range: Uncommon. British Columbia and Alberta south to northern Washington and northern Montana.
