Page 232 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Nymphalidae
DISTRIBUTION North America, south to Argentina
HABITAT Open areas everywhere

HOST PLANTS Wide range, including ax (Linum spp.), violet (Viola spp.),
passion vine (Passi ora spp.), and stonecrop (Sedum spp.)
NOTE Caterpillar whose bright markings advertise its unpalatability
to predators
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but considered secure within its range

ADULT WINGSPAN
1¾–3⅛ in (45–80 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1¾ in (45 mm)
EUPTOIETA CLAUDIA
VARIEGATED FRITILLARY
230
(CRAMER, 1775)

The striking and solitary Variegated Fritillary caterpillar
emerges from pale green or cream-colored eggs laid on the
host plant and feeds on leaves and owers. Its pupa is an equally

attractive light blue green with gold cones, yellow antennae, and
orange eyes. The adults and caterpillars cannot survive severe
freezes so in winter are found only in warm or tropical areas.
However, adults migrate north every spring as far as southern
Canada, where they produce several generations.

The Variegated Fritillary is a “connecting link” to the
Heliconiinae subfamily, known as the heliconians, especially the
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), whose caterpillar, which is
The Variegated Fritillary caterpillar is distasteful to birds, it mimics as a defense mechanism. The Gulf
beautifully striped in orangey red, black, and Fritillary caterpillar is likewise striped red and black (but
white. The body is adorned with numerous
shiny, black spines, and behind the black sometimes without the white stripes). The caterpillars of both
head are two long, hornlike projections, which

are twice as long as the spines. The two white butter ies often eat passion ower leaves, and adults are similar
stripes are strongly developed and divided in size and color, both with pointed forewings, although the
vertically into three to ve pieces per segment.
Variegated Fritillary lacks the silver spots of the Gulf Fritillary.

Actual size