Population Size and Life History Observations of the Diana Fritillary, Argynnis diana (Nymphalidae), in Eastern Oklahoma

The Diana fritillary is a butterfly found in the southeastern United States and is considered a species of conservation concern throughout much of its range. We present a population estimate for the population of Diana fritillaries occurring at Camp Gruber Oklahoma Army National Guard Training Facility in eastern Oklahoma. Over the course of four days, we netted and marked 80 Diana fritillaries and using the Schumacher-Eschmeyer method estimated the population in the southern half of Camp Gruber to be 332 individuals. Additionally, we found that female Diana fritillaries tended to be active under overcast weather or in the evening, an observation not reported in previous literature.