Speyeria egleis subsp. utahensis in the Great Basin Fritillary complex.For more information see the first picture in this series:www.flickr.com/photos/tonyfrates/7565261812/July 7, 2012, Millcreek Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah, at 7200 ft. elev.
Speyeria egleis subsp. utahensis in the Great Basin Fritillary complex.For more information see the first picture in this series:www.flickr.com/photos/tonyfrates/7565261812/July 7, 2012, Millcreek Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah, at 7200 ft. elev.
The Great Basin Fritillary is a confusing complex with over a dozen subspecies. This fairly small/mid-sized butterfly appears to be a strong match for Speyeria egleis subsp. utahensis.While the other subspecies are usually silvered to some degree, in the Wasatch (as here) and Uinta Mountains they tend to be all, or mostly, unsilvered. The pale to dark brown mottled disk can be seen in pictures that follow that involve less backlighting and when the hindwing is in more of a vertical alignment.This was the only butterfly of this species observed in the area and it was more or less ignoring plant species that were in flower and was mainly fluttering along the nearby creek until it rested here for a short while. It apparently likes Violets, e.g. Viola adunca (but, none were seen at this location).July 7, 2012, Millcreek Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah, at 7200 ft. elev.
