Arctic Fritillary
Boloria chariclea helena
Adult Male
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IMMATURES



Drying wings just after emerging from pupa - 16 July 2010
drying wings

Dorsal View
dorsal view of adult

Close-up of face, antennae, eyes, legs...
face, antennae

Close-up of wing
close-up of wing
PHOTO DETAILS - ©Nicky Davis
LOCATION: Murdock Mountain, Uinta Mountains, Summit County, Utah  on 1 August 2009
GPS North 40.43.44.54, West 110.54.06.25 West
Elevation 10, 298 feet.

When eggs hatched, I tried a limited number of larvae in  lidded  twin cups using  pansy leaves with a wet piece of paper towel in the bottom of the cups for hydration.  They were kept under a lamp 24 x 7.  A  couple of them nibbled at the leaves but then stopped and refused the leaves.  Later I tried two with the same set-up but using a  Diamondleaf Willow, Salix planifolia and they started  to feed and it.  Since it was too late in the year  to continue feeding them this plant, I put these two first instars in the fridge with the others.  I  over-wintered them at about 30 to 35 degrees  in a chiffon hammock in a solo cup with needle holes in  then placed in a cross-ventilated plastic sandwich container holding a solo cup full of water  to hydrate.

On 15 June 2010, when Salix planifolia was available, the larvae were removed from hibernation and placed on  the plant using the twin cup method.  They began to feed in three to four days.  After  eighteen days #9 formed a "J" and was set to pupate. The pupa formed on 11 July 2010 and the adult emerged 16 July 2010.  The rest of the larvae fed intermittently on the plant for the remainder of the summer but never formed a pupa.  They were finally set back into hibernation.

PHOTOS: See notations above each photo

LIFE HISTORY:
Ovum:  6 TO 9 DAYS
Larva:  Over-winter as first instar and then these fed for about 18 days. 
Pupa:  Five days
Adult:  Unknown
Broods:  One brood every other year per "Butterflies of North America"  James A. Scott
Hibernation:  Overwinters as  first instar and as last instar per "Butterflies of North America"  James A. Scott

NAME CHANGES -  Andy Warren - December 2010
 
In 1998, all North American Boloria "titania" became ssp. of Boloria "chariclea".  Recent DNA evidence (in press at the moment) corroborates the idea that we 
have only chariclea in North America, and no titania.  Thus, your Boloria are  B. chariclea helena.  Actually, there is a chance they are closest to the undescribed
NW Colorado segregate of B. chariclea (http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/t/Boloria_chariclea_nwco_a.htm) but I haven't seen much material from the Uintas so really
can't say at this time.

Host Plants listed  in The Butterflies of North American by James A. Scott
Salix sp. (Alta), reticulata (S. Alaska & Churchill, Man.)S. artica, (Churchill); Polygonum (Europe), P. bistortoides (Wash.), viviparium, (N. Amer.); viola pallens (ont), V. adunca (Wyom); Dryas integrifolia (Greenland), Assoc. with Salix herbaceanin S.E. Can. & with Salix reticulata ssp. nivalis in Color, young larvae eat viola in lab in Color. per J. Scott).  Oviposit observed on Vacinium augustifolium (Ericaceae, Ont.) V. sp. (N. Que), & V. scoparium (Color.).  All possible hosts and on Trollius laxus (ranunculaceae, Colo.), a doubtful host.


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