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Best distinguished from look-alikes by characters of the hindwing underside: the only other Boloria with a dark-brick and silver-yellow underside is selene, but eunomia has a row of silvery submarginal spots, which are black in selene. Three subspecies are part of the Alberta fauna, one resembling dawsonia throughout the boreal and foothills region, nichollae from the north-central mountains (described from the vicinity of the Columbia Icefields), and an undescribed subspecies from the Canadian Shield ecoregion of the far northeast (Bird et al. 1995).

In Alberta, eggs hatch in 7 to 8 days, and larvae feed on the leaf underside of the host plant (Bird et al. 1995). Colorado and Wyoming larvae are reddish-brown with red spines, with third or fourth instars hibernating (Scott 1986). Adult males patrol to seek females (Scott 1986).

Larvae are reported to feed on willows (Salix spp.) in Alberta (Bird et al. 1995). Bistort (Polygonum viviparum) is also reported from western North America, in addition to heaths (Ericaceae) in western Canada (Layberry et al. 1998).

A Holarctic species, found throughout the north-temperate region of the northern hemisphere. In North America, eunomia occurs from Alaska to Newfoundland, and south to Colorado in isolated Rocky Mountain populations (Scott 1986).