About Speyeria adiaste (Edwards, 1864)
Speyeria adiaste, commonly known as the unsilvered fritillary or adiaste fritillary, is a species of butterfly belonging to the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the coastal mountains of California in two separate population clusters. One cluster occurs across San Mateo County, Santa Cruz County, and Santa Clara County, while the second cluster is found in Los Angeles County, Kern County, and Santa Barbara County. This butterfly has a wingspan of 50 to 61 millimeters. Adult individuals feed on flower nectar. On the upper side of its wings, male individuals range in color from pale reddish tan to bright brick red. Females are larger and paler in color than males. Dark wing markings are generally small and scattered, except for a prominent bold post-median line. The underside of the wings ranges in color from pale yellow to gray. The spots on the hindwing are unsilvered, and have very little color contrast with the surrounding background color of the wing. The larvae feed on Viola species, specifically including Viola quercetorum.
