While at MacLeod Field yesterday morning, I spotted this flash of orange and having seen several Pearl Crescents thought it to be one. But upon a closer look I was mistaken.
Silver-bordered Fritillary-Boloria selene
When I first spotted this individual it was flitting, as butterflies do, from plant to plant with me chasing it with my tripod mounted camera in hand. I pictured myself as one of those cartoon butterfly chasers with net waving for the catch. Each time I would draw close away it would fly. But eventually it found a spot it liked and settled down for a fun modeling session.
As it moved to a different perch I decided to take the risk and slowly wandered around to the right and did manage a headshot of sorts.
Unlike yesterday’s Cabbage White, these are not pesty to crops although they do munch on violets as young ones which i guess threatens posies. The adults, as most all leps do, dine on nectar and pollinate while doing so.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
This is a very nice butterfly, thanks for the beautiful pictures.
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Thanks, Rudi.
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These are wonderful Steve and we both really love the 3rd shot. But here’s a thing, have I missed something .. the top-side of the wings in the 1st pic look different to the 2nd/3rd photos (?) Are those “Pearl Crescents”, I’m confused.
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Aaauuuggghhh!!! I loaded the wrong picture. I’ll fix it. Thanks, Liz. The first is a pearl crescent. Damn! 🙂
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Thanks, Liz and Nigel. I replaced it and in the interim learned how to do that avoiding the block editor. I hate when things get more difficult through “improvement”. 🙂
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As you’ve already commented, we both did orange butterflies this morning.
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Yup.
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Wonderful photographs – you evidently had a great butterfly hunt!
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Just a few but quality not quantity. 🙂 Thanks, Ann!
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Very nice series of butterfly images Steve!
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Thanks, Reed!
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Butterflies are not easy to photography. Your patience and persistence rewarded you with some outstanding photos, Steve.
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Thanks, Peter. It was a lot of fun chasing and then capturing (photographically) this species.
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Very nice series for your efforts, Steve!
I had a chuckle at you and the tripod dance, the butterfly leading.
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A tripod is a little more awkward than a net but probably a bit funnier to the casual observer. Thanks, Ellen.
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Your patience and coordination paid off–great set of shots!
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Thanks, Tina. I appreciated the opportunity this butterfly gave me. Always fun when a species cooperates.
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Wonderful series, Steve. All beautifully shot and I found your final image to be particularly appealing in its pose and the composition.
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Thanks, Jane! I usually start with the first composition from a respectable distance and then try for something with a bit more “personality”. I was lucky this one didn’t mind my jockeying around for that last shot.
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The underside of the wings do have that ‘look’ of a fritillary. If I’d seen it only from the top, I wouldn’t have recognized it for what it is.
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My first reaction was that I was seeing a Pearl Crescent, which I mistakenly posted a shot of for the first before Liz pointed out my error. But once I saw the wings spread I recognized it for one I hadn’t seen in a while. I was happy in that last shot to capture the underside as well as a headshot.
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Beautiful colouring and patterns, Steve! Very nicely captured!
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Thanks, Pete. I was very pleased with my model’s patience with me. 🙂
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I can just picture you, camera and tripod in hand, skipping and hopping through the field after this little fritillary. 🙂 Looks to have been worth the effort. I love the bent antenna in that first one.
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Add holding the tripod in the air to avoid knocking things around in the tall grass and that’s me, Todd. 🙂 I was happy for that little bit of added “character” the bent antenna supplied. Thanks, Todd!
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I never realised you had this species across the pond! We call it Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and is a species of late spring. It’s also in great decline due to habitat loss.
Excellent images!
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It is a long flutter for a butterfly from there to here. It’s nice to know they are somewhat universal. They are also in decline is some locations here. A Facebook friend mentioned that they are all but gone from the state of New Jersey. Thanks!
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