Variegated Fritillary ~ Euptoieta claudia (Cramer, 1776)

Canon EOS 30D SLR

Featured in the group “Insects, Bugs, & Creepy Crawlies”

Attributes of Euptoieta claudia

Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

Subfamily: Longwings (Heliconiinae)

Identification: Upperside tawny orange with thick dark veins and markings; black spots near margin. Hindwing margin angled and slightly scalloped. Underside of hindwing with a mottled pattern and no silver spots.

Life history: Males patrol short distances in flat, dry, open places. Eggs are laid singly on host plant stems and leaves; caterpillars eat leaves and flowers.

Flight: Three broods from April-October in the north, four broods from February or March-November or December in the south.

Wing span: 1 3/4 – 3 1/8 inches (4.5 – 8 cm).

Caterpillar hosts: A variety of plants in several families including maypops (Passiflora incarnata), may apple (Podophyllum peltata), violets (Viola), purslane (Portulaca), stonecrop (Sedum), and moonseed (Menispermum).

Adult food: Nectar from several plant species including butterflyweed, common milkweed, dogbane, peppermint, red clover, swamp milkweed, and tickseed sunflower.

Habitat: Open sunny areas such as prairies, fields, pastures, road edges, landfills.

Range: Higher elevations of Argentina through Central America and Mexico to the southern United States; also Cuba and Jamaica. Regularly colonizes north through most of the United States except the Pacific Northwest.

Conservation: Not required. An occasional minor pest of ornamental pansies and violets.

NatureServe Global Status: G5 – Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.