Pacific Fritillary (Boloria epithore [W. H. Edwards])
Wing span: 1 3/8 - 1 3/4 inches (3.5 - 4.5 cm).
Identification: Tip of forewing rounded. Upperside bright orange; black markings large on basal half of wing, small on outer half. Underside orange with purple-brown markings; hindwing with postmedian row of dark circles.
Life history: Males patrol for females all day in woods and meadows. Overwintering is by fourth-stage caterpillars.
Flight: One flight from May-August.
Caterpillar hosts: Violets including Viola ocellata, V. sempervirens, and V. glabella.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Openings in moist forests, wet meadows, streamsides.
Range: Central British Columbia east and south to Alberta and Montana, south along Pacific Coast to central California.
