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Life Stages Diagram
The bars in this diagram show approximate times of the year when the butterfly will be present, in Nova Scotia, in its various life stages.

The dates shown for the adult stage are based on actual reports for Nova Scotia. The majority of reports will be within the period shown, but small numbers of adults will be earlier or later.

Dates for egg, larva and pupa are based on what information was available regarding time periods for eggs to develop, and typical time required for pupation. Like the adults, some records can be expected outside the date ranges we have shown. We caution that dates for these immature stages are mostly conjectural.

Jutta Arctic - Oeneis jutta
[Jutta Arctic image]
Jutta Arctic - Apple River, NS - 2010-05-25
Photo © Kathleen F. Spicer
What's this?
Status in Nova Scotia
Uncommon and very local. There are historical records from Mount Uniacke and Cape Breton; recent records are from Cumberland, Guysborough and Richmond counties. The Maritimes Butterfly Atlas S-rank for this species is "S3: Uncommon, or found only in a restricted range, even if abundant at some locations (21 to 100 occurrences)."

Flight Period
Mid-May to late June.

Habitat
Tamarack and Black Spruce bogs.

Larval Foodplants
Sedges such as Cotton-grass (Eriophorum sp.), and Carex.

Similar Species in Nova Scotia
None.

Notes
Until recently, this species was known as Balder's Arctic, Oeneis balderi.

This species has a two-year life-cycle: the larva passes its first winter as a first or second instar, and its second winter as a fourth or fifth instar.

It has been found in successive years in a Guysborough County bog (2011 and 2012), so these might almost be considered two independent populations of one species living in the same place at the same time.

Further Reading



Jutta Arctic - New Scotland Bog, NB, 2010-06-04
Jutta Arctic - New Scotland Bog, NB - 2010-06-04
2010-06-04
Photo © Jim Edsall