Diana Fritillary - Alabama Butterfly Atlas

Butterfly: Wingspan: 3½ - 4½ inches (8.7 - 11.3 cm) UPPER SURFACE (dorsal) Male black brown; wide orange border containing tiny brown spots. Female forewing blue black with pale marks along edge. Hindwing pale blue. UNDER SURFACE (ventral) Male forewing dark brown with wide orange border; hindwing tawny orange; unmarked. Female forewing mirrors upper surface; hindwing black blue with brownish overtones; no spot pattern.

ID Tip: Large orange and brown or black and blue butterfly with no silver spangles and no tails.

Egg: Creamy white turning golden tan; flattened cone shape. Usually scattered near violets.

Caterpillar: Velvety black; rows of black spines emerging from red/orange bases. Head black with two short horns. Reddish, bulb shaped osmeterium under head. The overwintering stage (first instar).

Chrysalis: Chestnut brown; chunky.

Butterfly ID Thumbnail — Get Identification Help

Like all Greater Fritillaries, Dianas are single brooded. Males display the typical fritillary color palette and emerge in early summer, usually several days before their female counterparts. Females mimic distasteful black-and-blue Pipevine Swallowtails. When they emerge, mating occurs, and most males complete their life cycle shortly after, although some linger through the summer. Females live on in a state of reproductive diapause; during July and August they are seldom seen as they hide in nearby woodlands. In late summer, females become more active and deposit eggs in the vicinity of violets. First instar caterpillars overwinter, waiting to eat until the following spring when violets flush with new growth. Caterpillars will eat leaves but prefer buds and flowers. They rest under violet leaves or in leaf litter when not eating. Late instars develop curious osmeteria-like organs. Located under the head, these bulbous glands emit an unpleasant odor to deter predation. Chrysalides are formed in leaf litter on the forest floor.

Diana Fritillaries are primarily found in the southern Appalachian Mountains. A smaller population occurs in the Ozarks. Typically expected in Alabama’s northeastern mountains, Diana Fritillaries also turn up in unexpected spots and range as far south as Lee County. Dianas' survival requires a complex combination of habitats that must combine open, sunny areas with nearby deciduous forest. In addition to their violet hosts, a succession of crucial nectar plants such as milkweeds and thistles must also be accessible. An alarming range-wide decline in Diana populations over the past 50 years makes gathering information about Alabama populations important, particularly since our state is the southern limit of their known range.

A dot on the county map indicates that there is at least one documented record of the species within that county. In some cases, a species may be common throughout the county, in others it may be found in only a specific habitat. The High Count information shows the highest numbers recorded for this species as well as when and where they occurred.

The sightings bar graphs depict the timing of flight(s) within each of three geographic regions. Place your cursor on a bar within the graph to see the number of individuals recorded during that period.

The abundance calendar displays the total number of individuals recorded within each week of the month. Both the graphs and the calendar are on based data collection that began in 2000.

The records analyzed here are only a beginning. As more data is collected, these maps and graphs will paint a more accurate picture of distribution and abundance in Alabama. Submit your sightings to albutterflyatlas@gmail.com.

Sightings in the following counties: Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, DeKalb, Elmore, Jackson, Jefferson, Lee, Madison, Randolph, Talladega, Tallapoosa

Sightings in the past 5 years
Sightings in the past 5 - 10 years
Sightings more than 10 years ago

High count(s):

82 - Cleburne - 6/1/2019
57 - Cleburne - 6/7/2020
32 - Cleburne - 6/11/2022

View county names by moving the mouse over a county or view a map with county names

Jan				Feb				Mar				Apr				May				Jun				Jul				Aug				Sep				Oct				Nov				Dec
1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
												1					1	1	39	391	111	26	22	10	8	3	2	7	10	8	35	25	59	8	1

Rich, deciduous forests and adjacent sunny, open areas. Exact habitat requirements remain a mystery; there appears to be much suitable habitat that does not support populations of Diana Fritillaries.

Diana Fritillary (*Argynnis diana*)

County

© Sara Bright

Woodland opening with nectar sources

Violets (Viola spp.) are used throughout the range.

Specific violets have not been documented in Alabama.

If Diana Fritillaries are in the area, a combination of violets and their preferred nectar sources may draw them to your landscape. Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) mountain mints (Pycnanthemum spp.), ironweeds (Vernonia spp.), and thistles (Cirsium spp.) are favorites.

Violets are spring flowering, deer-resistant perennials. Although much maligned because of their tenacity and tendency to spread, they can function as a low-maintenance groundcover in difficult landscape situations. Consider using them to fill in among shady spots where turfgrass has failed to thrive. They are vigorous and form dense mounding clumps approximately 5 to 7 inches from the ground. Violets attract many forms of wildlife that delight in their seeds, leaves, and rhizomes. These include mason bees, songbirds, wild turkeys, grouse, bobwhites, and mourning doves in addition to fritillary butterflies.

Diana Fritillary (Argynnis diana) Photos

Click on individual photos to view a larger version that includes photo credits, county, and date.
Photos with comments are indicated by a small, tan dot on the bottom right.