The other day, I was enjoying a quiet conversation with my daughter Lindsey on the deck when a flash of color caught my eye. It was a butterfly unlike any I’d seen before, flitting gracefully through my flower garden. Curiosity piqued, Lindsey grabbed her phone and with a quick internet search, we identified our beautiful visitor – the male Diana Fritillary butterfly!
As it turned out, this wasn’t just any butterfly. Here in Arkansas, the Diana Fritillary holds a special distinction – it’s our official state butterfly, designated in 2007! And with its impressive wingspan reaching up to 4.5 inches, stunning coloration (think blackish-brown with orange for males and iridescent blue for females), and preference for my Meadow Sage, it was easy to see why it became the state symbol.
Learning more about this fascinating creature added another layer of wonder to our encounter. We discovered that the Diana Fritillary thrives in the moist, mountainous regions of Arkansas, like Mount Magazine, and relies on a specific diet of high-quality nectar plants such as milkweeds and thistles. What’s more, with adults living for a respectable 4-5 months, these butterflies offer Arkansans more opportunities to witness their beauty.
Intriguingly, Arkansas represents the “western” population of the Diana Fritillary, with a separate “eastern” population inhabiting the southern Appalachian Mountains. Sadly, due to habitat loss from fire suppression and urban development, the Diana Fritillary is considered a “species of special concern” by the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.
As Lindsey and I watched the Diana Fritillary flit from bloom to bloom, I felt incredibly fortunate to host such a regal creature in my own garden. Our chance encounter was a reminder of the incredible biodiversity that surrounds us—if we take the time to notice. Mount Magazine may be a “definitive destination” for Diana sightings, but my own little patch of Arkansas proved to be a butterfly kingdom that day.
Keep your eyes peeled, and with a little luck, you might just be graced by the presence of this magnificent state butterfly.
Nice butterfly now I need to see if my state has an official butterfly.