Family: Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies view all from this family

Description 2-2 3/4" (51-70 mm). Large. Above, tawny-orange with many black marks, including bars near base, zigzag band, row of dots, and several marginal rows of crescents and dashes. Below, orange with black and silver spots near FW tip; HW has rows of silver spots in disk; disk is greenish-brown in Great Basin but brandy-colored in Rockies and California; marginal; silver spots flattened and capped with broad brown or greenish, narrow yellow band beyond disk.

Similar Species Callippe, Zerene, and Egleis fritillaries often not distinguishable from this species except by experts.

Life Cycle Small, ribbed, tan eggs. Caterpillar overwinters after hatching. Feeds on violets (Viola) in the spring. Mature caterpillar gray with black patches, gray bands, black spines with orange bristles, and orange side spines.

Flight 1 brood; June-early September.

Habitat Chaparral, sagelands, open pine forest, canyons, and flowery meadows.

Range Washington and W. South Dakota, south to S. California, Arizona, and Colorado.

Discussion In Colorado the Coronis Fritillary is a typical foothill butterfly, although less common than the Aphrodite. The best place to find the Coronis is on large bull thistles where it takes nectar for up to 10 minutes at a time. Adults fly swiftly about hillsides and valleys when not feeding.