Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1984. “Distribution of the Diana Fritillary, Speyeria diana, (Nymphalidae) in Arkansas, with Notes on Nectar Plant and Habitat Preference.” Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society 56 (Autumn 2002): 162–165. “Description of the female Argynnis diana.” Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia 3 (1864): 431. This represents the “western” United States population the “eastern” population occurs in the southern Appalachians, including central Virginia, northern Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky.Įdwards, W. This butterfly has been recorded in twenty-seven counties in Arkansas and is occasionally observed in the mountains of Oklahoma and Missouri. Adults require high-quality nectar plants. It is a relatively long-lived butterfly, with adults living four to five months, increasing citizens’ chances of viewing them. They have been identified as a “species of special concern” by the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.ĭiana fritillaries thrive in moist, mountainous habitats, such as Mount Magazine. Interest in the Diana fritillary increased in the mid-1990s when entomologists began searching for them throughout the Interior Highlands and discovered their natural habitat was diminishing due to either fire suppression or urban development. Edwards from the Kanawha and Elk Rivers of West Virginia. The species was first described in 1777 by Pieter Cramer from a male discovered in Jamestown, Virginia. Males are blackish-brown with orange markings the larger females are black with iridescent blue. The butterflies are large (3.5″ wingspan) and showy. ![]() ![]() ![]() Fritillary is derived from the Latin word fritillus, meaning “dice-box,” probably referring to spot patterns on the wings. Diana was the Roman goddess of light and life (Artemis in Greek mythology), later known as the goddess of the moon and hunting, and as a protector of women. The Diana fritillary is among the most spectacular of the 134 resident species of butterflies found in Arkansas. Arkansas is the twenty-sixth state to designate a butterfly as a state symbol. Introduced by Representative John Paul Wells of Logan County, the legislation for making the butterfly a state symbol took note of the butterfly’s beauty, educational importance, and impact on tourism in Arkansas.Īrkansas is the only state to designate the Diana fritillary as its state butterfly, pairing it with its state insect, the honeybee. On February 28, 2007, Act 156 of the Arkansas General Assembly designated the Diana fritillary ( Speyeria diana) as the official state butterfly.
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