# Pacific Fritillary (*boloria epithore*)

The Pacific Fritillary is a beautiful butterfly that flutters gracefully through meadows and fields. Its colorful wings are decorated with striking orange and black patterns, making it a favorite among nature lovers!

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Meadows, grasslands, and open woodlands.
- **Also known as:** Pacific Butterfly

![Pacific Fritillary](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Boloria_epithore_6114.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boloria_epithore_6114.JPG)

## Appearance

The Pacific Fritillary has bright orange wings adorned with intricate black spots and lines. Its underside is duller, often with subtle silvery spots, distinguishing it from other orange-brown butterflies. This pattern helps it blend into sunny meadows.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Lepidoptera
- **Family:** Nymphalidae
- **Genus:** Boloria

## Interesting facts

- Adult Pacific Fritillaries use their excellent eyesight to spot colorful wildflowers from far away.
- Some fritillary butterflies, like this one, have shimmering silver spots on the underside of their wings!
- The Pacific Fritillary caterpillar is covered in tiny spines, looking like a miniature spiky monster!
- They spend most of their lives as caterpillars, munching on leaves before transforming into butterflies.

## Special abilities

- **Foot Taste Buds:** Pacific Fritillary can taste with its feet because they have chemoreceptors that help them find the best nectar-rich flowers.
- **Nectar Siphon:** Pacific Fritillary has a long, coiled proboscis that helps it sip sweet nectar from deep inside various flowers.
- **Habitat Camouflage:** Pacific Fritillary caterpillars can blend into violet plants, helping them hide from hungry birds and other predators.
- **Sun-Powered Flight:** Pacific Fritillary can warm its body by basking in the sun, which gives it the energy needed for swift flight.

## Measurements & details

- **Wingspan:** 40-55 mm
- **Size:** 15-25 mm
- **Lifespan:** 14-30 days
- **Flight Speed:** 20-30 km/h
- **Leg Count:** 6

## Diet & Feeding

Adults sip flower nectar; caterpillars munch on violet leaves to grow.

- **Age differences:** Larvae eat violet leaves, while adults exclusively drink flower nectar.
- **Primary Foods:** Flower nectar, Violet leaves, Thistle nectar, Aster nectar
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** Hooked-spur Violet (*Viola adunca*) — Caterpillars feed on its leaves to grow.
- **Eats:** Canada Thistle (*Cirsium arvense*) — Adults sip nectar from its flowers.
- **Eaten by:** [Steller's Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/stellers-jay) (*Cyanocitta stelleri*) — Adult butterflies can be prey for birds.
- **Pollinates:** Aspen Fleabane (*Erigeron speciosus*) — Adults transfer pollen between flowers.

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Pacific Fritillary?

Compare the wing outline, spots, bands, eyespots and wing edges. The underside can look completely different from the top. Check for tails, the antennae and where the markings sit instead of relying on color alone. Butterfly Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### What is Pacific Fritillary's wingspan?

40-55 mm

### How big is Pacific Fritillary?

15-25 mm

### How long does Pacific Fritillary live?

14-30 days

### How fast can Pacific Fritillary fly?

20-30 km/h

### What does Pacific Fritillary eat?

Adults sip flower nectar; caterpillars munch on violet leaves to grow.

### Where is Pacific Fritillary usually found?

Meadows, grasslands, and open woodlands.

### How does Pacific Fritillary hunt?

Foraging

## Where to spot

- [Tantalus Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tantalus-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park
- [Capitol State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/capitol-state-forest) — Washington, US · Forest

## More Insects

- [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*)
- [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*)
- [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*)
- [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*)

---

Source: [Pacific Fritillary: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pacific-fritillary)