Meadow Fritillary

April 2020

The Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona) is New Jersey’s smallest fritillary species and is bright orange with spotting that reminds me of a leopard on the dorsal side. The underside hindwing is a dark amber color with variable mottled markings, and the forewing has a mix of yellow, orange and black stripes and spots.

April 2020

I’ve only come across this species twice and it could be mistaken for a Pearl Crescent, however the flight is much stronger from what I’ve observed. The size is noticeably larger as well. They seem to love open farm or grassy fields and can appear from April through October mainly in far northern New Jersey.