34 Nebraskaland • October 2024
he regal fritillary is aptly
named. A glimpse of this large
butterfl y, with its beautiful
reddish-orange wings ornately
spotted with white, black and blue,
eff ortlessly sailing above the prairie, is
indeed a regal sight.
Historically, the regal fritillary
occupied grasslands throughout
the northeastern and north-central
United States. Unfortunately, east
of Nebraska, regal populations have
crashed, and the species has been
extirpated from much of its former
range. However, in the Great Plains,
the butterfl y has fared better, and this
region is the species' last stronghold.
In Nebraska, the regal fritillary still
graces grasslands nearly statewide,
from the tallgrass prairie remnants
in the east to wet meadows in the
Sandhills and dry, mixed-grass plains
of the Panhandle. Its local abundance
varies from common to rare, dependent
on habitat abundance and quality. The
loss of native grassland habitats is
largely responsible for the butterfl y's
range-wide decline. However, other
factors have also played a role,
including the fact that evolution has
painted the insect into a corner of
specialization.
Let me explain: Like many butterfl y
species, regal fritillary caterpillars
have evolved to feed solely on a
specifi c group of plants — in this case,
violets. Unfortunately, in Nebraska
A Passion
for Regal
Fritillaries
and Violets
By Gerry Steinauer, Botanist
T
The deeply lobed leaves of prairie violets set them apart from most other violet
species native to Nebraska.
GERRY STEINAUER, NEBRASKALAND
