Silver-bordered fritillary

Taxonomy

Silver-bordered fritillary
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Boloria
Species:	B. myrina
Binomial name
Boloria myrina

The Silver-bordered fritillary, Boloria myrina, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Previously classified under a single species, B. myrina was determined to be a distinct species from B. selene through genomic sequencing.^[1] It is a North American species of fritillary butterfly. Historically, it was treated as a subspecies of B. selene due to similarities in coloration and wing structure. However, recent reviews supported recognizing B. myrina as a different species based on differences in genitalia, wing patterns, and geographic location.^[2]

Location and Habitat

B. myrina can be found across North America. This includes Canada, some of the United States, and parts of Alaska.^[2] This species is commonly associated with wet meadows, bogs, and other moist open habitats where their larval host plants are abundant. Their host plant is the violet.^[2]

Life Cycle and Behavior

The Silver-bordered Fritillary is univoltine, meaning it produces only one generation per year. ^[3]Females tend to lay their eggs on or near violets because their larvae depend on the plant for food. Like many northern fritillaries, their larvae overwinter and will continue their development in the springtime.^[3]

Adults tend to fly at low heights above vegetation in search of wet meadows with nectar and other sources of food. Their flight behavior is slow and fluttery, and often close to the ground in search of food sources.^[3]

Identification

In their adult form, the silver-bordered fritillary are small to medium-sized butterfly. Their upper side of the wing is bright orange with dark spots and has a band that looks like most fritillaries. On the bottom side of the wing, there is a row a silver spots that looks like a continuous border. This is where this butterfly gets its name. This iconic feature is what separates it from similar species, such as the dark-bordered fritillary and the small pearl-bordered fritillary. ^[3]

Boloria myrina atrocostalis, known as the dark-bordered fritillary,^[4] is a subspecies inhabiting North America.

Conservation

In parts such as the Pacific Northwest of the United States, populations may be rare or unsafe. This is due to the fact that their preferred habitats are being affected by humans. Some of the threats they face include drainage of wetlands, overgrazing, and the loss of their host plants, violets. Because these populations of butterflies can be isolated and depend on specific environmental needs, extirpations are possible in some areas or regions.^[5]

Status

The dark-bordered fritillary is classified by NatureServe as Imperiled in Oregon and Vulnerable in both Washington and Yukon^[6]