Certain larvae did better in their home environments and struggled in foreign environments, indicating potential local adaptation. There were also slight coloration changes between males in Massachusetts (a “warm leathery tone”) and males in South Dakota (a “chestnut brown” color), indicating potential genetic differences between the two populations, which are separated by unsuitable habitat and by a distance of 2000 miles (3218.688 km). However, due to the age of the study, more work is needed to confirm that local adaptation is indeed taking place in North American populations of small pearl-bordered fritillaries instead of individual plasticity.