Euptoieta claudia

The Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.  It is native to North America and South America.  The Variegated Fritillary is closely related to butterflies in the genus Speyeria.  It has some differences from Speyeria butterflies.  Some of the differences are: Variegated Fritillaries have 2-3 broods per year vs. one per year in Speyeria.  They travel more vs. staying in the same place.  And they use a wide range of host plants vs. just violets.  Variegated Fritillaries use passionflowers as a host plant.  Because of this, Variegated Fritillaries have taxonomic links to the heliconians.  Their flight is low and fast, and they are hard to approach.  Its genus name was taken from the Greek word euptoietos meaning "easily scared".

Description
The upper side of the wings is orange and black.  The fore wing and hind wing have a row of submarginal black spots and black median lines running across the wings.  (Submarginal means just inward of the wing edge.  Median means through the center of the wing.)  The underside of the fore wing is orange.  The hind wing is mottled with browns and grays.  There is a pale postmedian band (postmedian means just outward of the median).  There is no silvering.  The wingspan is 1.75-2.25 inches.

Similar species
There is a butterfly similar to the Variegated Fritillary.  It is the Mexican Fritillary (Euptoieta hegesia).  The Mexican Fritillary is brighter orange.  The upper side of its hind wing has more orange.  The underside of its wings is plainer, with no submarginal spots or median black lines.

Flight period
This species may be seen flying from April-October in the south.  It flies in the north from summer to early fall.

Habitat
This butterfly is found in different kinds of habitats.  It can by found in clover fields, alfalfa fields, fields, pastures, waste areas, roadsides, and mountain meadows.

Nectar plants

The Variegated Fritillary has been seen on different kinds of flowers.  Here is a list of them:

Apocynum sp. - dogbane
Asclepias syriaca - Common Milkweed
Aster sp. - asters
Bidens aristosa - Bearded Beggerticks
Cirsium sp. - thistles
Echinacea sp. - coneflowers
Erigeron sp. - fleabane
Eupatorium perfoliatum - Common Boneset
Medicago sativa - Alfalfa
Trifolium pratense - Red Clover
Vernonia sp. - ironweed

Life cycle

Females lay their eggs singly on the host plant's leaves and stems.  The eggs are pale green or cream colored.  The caterpillar eats the leaves, flowers, and stems of the food plant.  The caterpillar is red with black stripes.  There are white spots in the black stripes.  In many individuals, the white is more noticeable than the black.  It has six rows of black spines.  It has a pair of long, clubbed spines on the head.  The chrysalis is shiny white with small black spots.  It has a variable amount of brown markings and has orange and gold projections.  Adults overwinter in the south and fly north each spring and summer.  It has 2-3 broods per year.

Host plants
Here is a list of host plants that the Variegated Fritillary caterpillar eats:

 Boerhaavia intermedia - Five-wing Spiderling
 Cynanchum arizonicum - Arizona Swallow-wort
 Hybanthus verticillatus - Babyslippers
 Linum australe - Southern Flax
 Linum rigidum - Stiffstem Flax
 Linum sulcatum - Grooved Yellow Flax
 Menispermum canadense - Canadian Moonseed
 Menispermum mexicanum - Mexican Moonseed
 Passiflora caerulea - Blue Passionflower
 Passiflora foetida - Foetid Passionflower
 Passiflora incarnate - Purple Passionflower
 Plantago sp. - plantain
 Podophyllum peltatum - Mayapple
 Portulaca oleracea - Common Purslane
 Turnera ulmifolia - Yellow Alder
 Sedum lanceolatum - Lance-leaf Stonecrop
 Viola bicolor - American Field Pansy
 Viola sororia - Common Blue Violet
 Viola tricolor ssp. - Heartsease

References

Nymphalidae