What do regal fritillary butterflies eat?
nectar
Adult regal fritillaries feed on nectar from various flowers such as milkweeds, native thistles, blazing stars, coneflowers, joe-pye weed, and ironweeds. Their use of nectar plants changes over time and they will leave an area if there are not enough nectar plants present when needed.
Are fritillary butterflies rare?
Sadly it is now one of our rarest butterflies but has been saved from the brink of extinction by the concerted action of conservationists.
What is the scientific name for the regal fritillary?
Speyeria idalia
Regal fritillary/Scientific names
Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia), presently listed as a Federal Species of Concern and Endangered in Wisconsin, has been found in large grassland areas with tallgrass prairie remnants or lightly grazed pasture lands containing prairie vegetation.
Where does the regal fritillary butterfly live?
Regal fritillaries are found on existing native prairie sites on Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge. Range: Tall-grass prairie remnants in Montana and eastern North Dakota south to Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma; rare or absent from former range east of the Mississippi River.
What is the rarest British butterfly?
With a wingspan of more than 2 inches, the large blue butterfly holds the title of being both the largest, and rarest of all 9 British blue butterflies. Declared extinct in Britain in 1979, its numbers have continued to be in decline worldwide.
Is the regal fritillary endangered?
The regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia) merits listing as an “endangered” or “threatened” species under the ESA. The species is extirpated from much of its historical range and continues to face overwhelming threats from habitat destruction leading to fragmentation and degradation of the prairie landscape.
Can you touch a gulf fritillary caterpillar?
The larvae, which are shiny orange with black spines, feed on the leaves of passionflower vines which render them poisonous to predators. Gulf Fritillary caterpillars are non-stinging if touched. The chrysalis resembles a dead leaf.