Argynnis zenobia is a large East Asian fritillary that lives in mountain forests of China, Korea, and the Russian Far East. It doesn't live anywhere in the United States. Like many fritillaries, its caterpillars feed on violets.
Appearance
- Appearance
- The upperside is bright orange-yellow with black spots. Males carry black scent streaks along two of the forewing veins. On the underside, the silver bands join together in several places. In the Russian Far East, many females are a dark, dull grayish-green form.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- mountain forests
- cliffs and rocky slopes
- Range
- China (including Tibet), the Amur and Ussuri regions of the Russian Far East, and Korea.
- Preferred conditions
- In the Russian Far East it lives in deciduous oak forests; males patrol cliffs and rocky slopes up to about 2,600 ft (800 m).
Behavior
- Overwintering
- Young caterpillars spend the winter dormant.
Life cycle
- Larva
- In the Russian Far East, females lay eggs singly or in small groups in rock crevices or on the host plant leaves. The chrysalis forms on rocks, branches, or exposed roots and lasts 25–30 days.
- Caterpillar food plants
- Violets; in the Russian Far East the larvae feed on Viola variegata.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Some authors place it in a separate genus, Childrena, as Childrena zenobia.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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