Stats

Lifespan: A few weeks
Size: Medium
Diet: Herbivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Temperate grassland
Range: The Americas
Movement: Flight
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Common

About

A medium-sized butterfly with bold orange-and-black patterned wings, the Variegated Fritillary is one of the few fritillaries that migrates south for winter rather than overwintering as eggs or larvae. Its caterpillars are unusually versatile feeders, chomping through passionflowers, violets, pansies, and stonecrop alike.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A tiny ribbed egg laid on the underside of a host-plant leaf, hatching within days.
2.
caterpillar
A voracious caterpillar feeds and molts through several instars, growing rapidly.
3.
chrysalis
A chrysalis hangs sealed and still while the body remodels into a winged adult.
4.
butterfly
A winged adult with full scales and coloration, ready to fly and mate.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Euptoieta
Species: Euptoieta claudia