52 



BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA. 



Distribution — The species has been taken as far north as Long Island 

 and Connecticut, though it is a rare visitor in New England; it is quite 

 common in Virginia and thence southward, and occurs not infrequently 

 in southern Illinois and Indiana, ranging westward and southward over 

 the entire continent to the Isthmus of Panama, and thence extending over 

 the South American Continent, wherever favorable conditions occur. 



In Montana it has been taken by Cooley at Forsyth and in G511atin 

 County, and by Wiley at Miles City. At the latter place it is common, 

 but averaging smaller in size. The species seems to be confined to the 

 Great Plains region of the state, although later collections may show it 

 farther west than it seems from present records to be. 



THE REGAL FRITILLARY. 

 Speyeria idalia, Drury. Fig. 41. 



Fig. 11. Speyeria idalia, Drury. 



Butterfly— Expanse of wings from 2.75— 3.C inches, 70-90 mm. 



Male. Upper surface of fore wings fulvous, black along the costa, 

 with a black outer border which is a little wider than the costal border; 

 base and hind margin brown; three black bars in cell, another bar at the 

 end with an open S united to it enclosing a fulvous spot; beyond the cell 

 runs a transverse zigzag line, a submarginal row of black dots, and next 

 the border a row of black crescents. Hind wings black, with violet re- 

 flections; base of wings washed with fulvous; a black spot in cell, an 

 Irregular row of yellowish spots beyond cell, and a marginal row of ful- 

 vous spots; fringes alternate spots of black and white. Under side of 

 fore wings fulvous, white along the costa, a marginal row of silver spots 

 enclosed in black crescents, and some silver on the costa near the apex; 

 black of upper side repeated; under side of hind wings yellowish brown, 

 with twenty-nine silver spots and patches, besides some silver shading. 



Female differs from male in being larger, with broader terminal band, 

 which contains a row of white spots, witn six or more white spots near 

 the apex, the outer row of spots on the hind wings of same color as the 

 inner. 



