Olympia Marble

The olympia marble is an early spring butterfly that is found in the central United States. Its range extends east from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes. In the north the range extends into southern Canada and runs down into northern Texas. The butterflies are most often found in shale grasslands, lakeshore dunes, open woodlands, prairie and meadow habitat.
These pictures were taken at Crex Meadows in Wisconsin. Wisconsin has the largest population of olympia marble out of any state in the United States.
Female olympia marble lay one egg on a larval host plant, typically rock cresses. The larva will eat the plant and then will form a chrysalis which is how it will spend the winter. There is typically only one brood per year and they are usually on the wing from mid April through June. I took these pictures in May of 2010.