Art Shapiro's Butterfly Site - Speyeria

Speyeria atlantis irene

admin — Sun, 28 May 2006 18:07:34 +0000

Some authorities now consider our populations a separate species, S. hesperis, which is then called the Northwestern Fritillary. A common species of relatively moist montane forest and roadsides, on our transect only a rare stray below 6000' but probably the commonest Speyeria at Donner and second-commonest at Castle Peak (after the more dryland-adapted S. egleis). An eager flower visitor, often seen at Aster, Coyotemint, and early-blooming Rabbitbrush. One brood in midsummer, a few still flying well into autumn. Hosts Violets (species preferences unknown). A number of dramatic wing-pattern aberrations have been taken at Donner over the years.

Speyeria callippe juba

admin — Sun, 28 May 2006 18:07:33 +0000

This is the Sierran west-slope subspecies, with a ruddy ventral hindwing and variable silvering. As usual for callippe it is the first Fritillary to emerge in a given locale, and usually the first to disappear. It is an avid visitor to flowers of Yerba Santa, Pink Dogbane, and Coyotemint and even to late flowers of Pussy Paws. Males also puddle. Fairly common at Washington and Lang (May-July). Larval host plants violets; at least at Washington these have often senesced by the time eggs are laid. The eggs hatch quickly; the larvae eat their eggshells and then diapause from July until at least the following March, enduring heat and drought, followed by cold, rain and snow. In the lab even large larvae aggregate spontaneously, even though eggs are laid singly and the larvae are normally solitary in nature. Callippe juba occurs in rocky, dry areas, often in canyons, including serpentine. It is separated from C. nevadensis by the high country, where this species does not fly.

Speyeria callippe nevadensis

admin — Sun, 28 May 2006 18:07:32 +0000

The Sierran East Slope subspecies, with greenish hindwing disc below; spots heavily silvered. Looks like a small S. coronis! On our transect occurs only at Sierra Valley, flying early like other callippe (June-July); visits Thistles, Alfalfa and yellow Composites. A moist-meadow species, presumably feeding on moist-meadow violets. Another colony occurs at the Donner Camp historic picnic site north of Sierraville on Highway 89.

Speyeria callippe ssp.

admin — Sun, 28 May 2006 18:07:31 +0000

Three subspecies occur on our transect. Speyeria callippe juba is strongly reddish beneath, with varying degrees of silvering. It occurs on the Sierran West slope, at Washington and Lang Crossing, and may be quite common in mesic forest and successional sites, where it visits Pink Dogbane, Giant Hyssop, Yerba Santa, Coyotemint, Wild Buckwheats and other flowers freely. Speyeria callippe nevadensis occurs on the East slope and on our transect is found only at Sierra Valley. It is less reddish above and the strongly-silvered hindwing underside is distinctly greenish; it resembles a small Coronis Fritillary, and flies with that species early in the season. It nectars at milkweeds, thistles, alfalfa, etc. and occurs in meadows and nearby alfalfa fields. The subspecies are separated by the Sierran crest, where the species is absent. Callippe is always the first Frit to emerge - at Washington as early as May, at Lang and Sierraville typically in June-early July - and the first to disappear (by August); the last individuals seen are generally females. Like all Frits, it diapauses as a first-instar larva that has eaten nothing but its eggshell. Since the eggs are laid early in the summer and hatch quickly, the neonate larvae have to endure the heat and drought of summer before facing the winter! The hosts are violets, but as usual the specific preferences are unknown at our sites.

There are a few individual callippe recorded at Gates Canyon, as well as elsewhere in the Inner Coast Range nearby, and even once at Davis (Yolo County) in the Sacramento Valley. These have not been identified to subspecies because the number of individuals is so small, and no breeding populations have been identified nearby that might be sources for them. We suspect there are more populations hidden on private land that has not been collected.

Speyeria coronis

admin — Sun, 28 May 2006 18:07:30 +0000

A large, showy, heavily-silvered Frit occurring in the Sierra Nevada but also in the Coast Range and even (as a stray?) in the Valley and Delta.

In the Sierra S. coronis has "always" been common on the East slope, flying in grassland; both sexes emerge in June, the males mostly die off after mating and the females store sperm and estivate, and then reappear in September to lay eggs. It was common to see them disperse upslope, e.g. to Donner Pass, and show up nectaring on Rabbitbrush in September - but there were no records of males, and no hint of breeding that high, until recently. In the past few years S. coronis has become much commoner in the high northern Sierra, and now breeds unambiguously there. It has even shown up at tree-line on Castle Peak. Is this an effect of climate change?

S. coronis occurs in grassland and oak woodland in the Bay Area and has turned up sporadically in the Suisun Marsh (females on composite flowers in autumn), probably as strays from around Mount Diablo. There is even one record in North Sacramento! However, several years ago this species successfully colonized Gates Canyon in the Inner Coast Range near Vacaville and has bred every year since, though no species of Viola has ever been collected there. In fact, there are only a handful of ancient records of Violets in the Vaca Hills at all. Probably the hosts are on private land which has not been explored botanically.

Larval hosts Violets (Viola); species preferences undetermined. Adults at Gates Canyon are usually seen visiting flowers of California Buckeye. In the Sierra, on Rabbitbrush, Aster, Goldenrod, Thistle and other showy things.

Speyeria cybele leto

admin — Sun, 28 May 2006 18:07:29 +0000

Our largest Frit, and the one showing the most dramatic sexual dimorphism. Leto is widespread at and above 5000' but is never common; many populations seem to be at very low density-just a few pairs per year. The preferred habitat is moist meadows adjacent to forest. Females wander a great deal and often turn up far from "home." There is one brood (July-October; late in the season one sees only females). The hosts, as always for Speyeria, are undetermined Violets. Adults visit Giant Hyssop (Agastache), Alfalfa, Milkweed, Dogbane, Aster, Goldenrod, Thistles and Rabbitbrush and probably others.

Speyeria egleis

admin — Sun, 28 May 2006 18:07:28 +0000

Fairly common at Donner and very common near tree-line on Castle and Basin Peaks. A fairly small Frit, about the size of S. mormonia, but unlike it found usually in relatively dry sites, often in areas dominated by Lodgepole Pine; adults visit Coyotemint, Aster, thistles, etc. and males both puddle and hilltop. Although this species is famously variable, it shows little variability on our transect. Like all Frits single-brooded (June-October); host plants Viola, species preferences unknown.

Speyeria hydaspe

admin — Sun, 28 May 2006 18:07:27 +0000

A bright-orange, medium-sized Frit, strongly purplish below (and in our area, nearly unsilvered), limited to mid-elevations on the Sierran West slope where it is common at Lang, occasional at Washington and only an infrequent stray at Donner. A species of mixed-mesic forest, commonly seen along roadsides and in successional stands where it visits Pink Dogbane, Giant Hyssop, milkweeds, Yerba Santa, etc. It frequently co-occurs with S. callippe juba and S. zerene, but generally below S. egleis, mormonia and atlantis. One brood, June-September. Host plants violets; species undetermined.

Speyeria mormonia

admin — Sun, 28 May 2006 18:07:26 +0000

A small Frit, delicately marked, well-silvered, with rounded wings and a golden-ruddy cast on the hindwing beneath, found at high elevation mainly on and near grassy meadows. Common at Donner; at Castle Peak mainly on Castle Valley. Flies low; visits Aster, Rabbitbrush, Coyotemint, etc. A rare stray at lower elevations. This species typically emerges rather late (Late July-August) and flies well into autumn (October). The hosts are Violets; specific preferences are unknown. At Donner this species flies with Speyeria atlantis in relatively moist habitats, leaving the drier sites to S. egleis. Unlike egleis, it does not hilltop.

Speyeria zerene

admin — Sun, 28 May 2006 18:07:25 +0000

On our transect, a rather uncommon species but seen at all the Sierran sites mainly in the second half of the season; females often fly well into autumn. Visits Giant Hyssop, Thistles, Milkweed, Alfalfa, Rabbitbrush and other rather tall flowers. All of our populations, including Sierra Valley, are very ruddy above and purplish beneath and well-silvered ("near conchyliatus"). As in all Speyeria, one brood; larval hosts Violets, species undetermined. A species of meadows, wood roads and open conifer forest.