Variegated Fritillary

Euptoieta claudia, the variegated fritillary, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Though the variegated fritillary has some very different characteristics from the Speyeria fritillaries, it is still closely related to them. Some of the differences include variegated fritillaries have two or three broods per year vs. one per year in Speyeria; they are nomadic vs. sedentary; and they use a wide range of host plants vs. just violets. And because of their use of passionflowers as a host plant, variegated fritillaries also have taxonomic links to the heliconians. Their flight is low and swift, but even when resting or nectaring, this species is extremely difficult to approach, so its genus name was taken from the Greek word euptoietos meaning "easily scared".