maybe the size of a silver dollar, but it has thrived around the farms and hayfields that characterize the landscape here. In large part this is because the larval food( of this and all our true fritillaries) is violets, and violets can only grow in grass that is mown or grazed so the sunlight reaches them. There are three fritillary generations a year, with the summer brood the most common. You can often find it flying around barns and extensive rural lawns that aren’ t shorn too short.
The largest of our fritillaries— and one of our largest butterflies period— is the Great Spangled Fritillary( Speyeria cybele). One look at the silver-studded underside of this tawny orange butterfly tells you how it got its name. Great Spangled Fritillaries are
uncommonly fond of thistles, so look for them on the prickly purple flowers where you won’ t easily forget the color combination. Both great spangled fritillaries and thistles thrive in the Reserve.
Sadly, its near cousin hasn’ t been so fortunate. Montgomery County and much of the Piedmont used to be home to the aptly named Regal Fritillary( Speyeria idalia), a species of the prairies, that once was part of the Maryland butterfly portfolio. It requires large tracts of unbroken prairie habitat, and Montgomery County was one of its Maryland strongholds. The last Regal Fritillaries in Maryland were seen in Montgomery County in the 1960s and on the Eastern Shore in the 1990s. They can still be seen in numbers, however,
on the Ft. Indiantown Gap military reserve in PA, where regular live mortar tests and tank patrols keep the meadows regularly disturbed and habitable for violets.
It’ s against the loss of such species that the Ag Reserve serves as an invaluable insurance policy. Few places in Maryland— and indeed on the East Coast— can boast our diversity of summer butterflies. A backroads drive on a sunny day in June or July is sure to reward you with a bounty of butterflies.
Rick Borchelt is a science, garden, and natural history writer; field naturalist; and lifelong birder who explores nature regularly in rural Maryland. Reach him with questions about this column at rborchelt @ gmail. com.
Extraordinary variety... magnificent setting!
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From dwarf and unusual evergreens to Japanese maples, Susanna Farm offers some of the most unique and beautiful trees and plants you’ ll find in the area. Situated in the heart of the Agricultural Reserve, your visit is guaranteed to be a memorable one! |
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