Bug FAQZerene Fritillary
Speyeria zerene · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
The Zerene fritillary is a medium butterfly about 25-28 mm long with a wingspan near 55 mm. Adults have black bodies, orange-brown upper wings, and silver metallic spots on the underside; the underside also shows black veins and spots.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The butterfly’s body is black, the upper side of the wings is orange-brown, and the underside shows black veins, black spots and silver metallic spots.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
A 1999 recovery plan by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service supports captive breeding programs in zoos and colleges.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed only on the leaves of blue violet (Viola adunca). Adult butterflies sip nectar from flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Females lay pink-tan eggs on dried violet stems and debris; larvae hatch in spring, grow through six instars, then pupate on the violet for about two weeks before emerging as butterflies that live roughly three weeks.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to the western United States, from Washington through Oregon to California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Idaho, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do Zerene fritillary caterpillars eat?
They eat only the leaves of blue violet (Viola adunca).
Source: Wikipedia
How big is a Zerene fritillary?
The butterfly is about 25-28 mm long with a wingspan of roughly 55 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Are there any conservation programs for this butterfly?
Yes, a recovery plan started in 1999 funds captive-rearing programs at zoos and colleges.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speyeria_zerene
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.