Variegated Fritillary - Alabama Butterfly Atlas

Butterfly ID Thumbnail — Get Identification Help

Variegated Fritillaries are common residents of open, sunny areas that support host and nectar plants, but they are rarely seen in large numbers. They are easily alarmed and are somewhat difficult to approach. Upper wing surfaces are strikingly orange, but when perched with closed wings, they resemble dried leaves and seem to disappear.

Variegated Fritillaries bridge the gap between the Greater Fritillaries (Speyarias) and the Longwings (Heliconias). Their rusty orange, rounded wings cause them to resemble the Greater Fritillaries, but they are considerably smaller. Like the Greater Fritillaries, their caterpillars eat violets, but they also eat passion flowers, the sole host of the Longwings.

Variegated Fritillaries range throughout much of the continental United States. In Alabama, they are widespread and have several overlapping broods. They will be documented in every county.

Distribution and Abundance

A dot on the county map indicates that there is at least one documented record of the species within that county. In some cases, a species may be common throughout the county, in others it may be found in only a specific habitat. The High Count information shows the highest numbers recorded for this species as well as when and where they occurred.

The sightings bar graphs depict the timing of flight(s) within each of three geographic regions. Place your cursor on a bar within the graph to see the number of individuals recorded during that period.

The abundance calendar displays the total number of individuals recorded within each week of the month. Both the graphs and the calendar are on based data collection that began in 2000.

The records analyzed here are only a beginning. As more data is collected, these maps and graphs will paint a more accurate picture of distribution and abundance in Alabama. Submit your sightings to albutterflyatlas@gmail.com.

Sightings in the following counties: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington, Wilcox, Winston

Sightings in the past 5 years
Sightings in the past 5 - 10 years
Sightings more than 10 years ago

High count(s):

500 - Crenshaw - 8/15/2021
76 - Baldwin - 9/14/2023
75 - Colbert - 6/16/2024

View county names by moving the mouse over a county or view a map with county names

Jan				Feb				Mar				Apr				May				Jun				Jul				Aug				Sep				Oct				Nov				Dec
1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
						4	3	1	2	1	17	12	30	20	24	48	22	32	66	38	47	121	55	60	62	38	81	82	95	707	84	66	148	76	180	123	42	30	56	25	14	14	9	1

Habitat

Open areas and disturbed sites including fields. meadows, sandhills, flatwoods, and roadsides.

Variegated Fritillary (*Euptoieta claudia*)

County

© Sara Bright

Sunny field

Host Plants

Various passionflowers (Passiflora spp.) and violets (Viola spp.) are used throughout the range.

The following have been documented in Alabama:

For more information about these plants, please visit the Alabama Plant Atlas using the links above.

Landscaping Ideas

Plant passion flowers in your yard, and fritillaries will come! Including these vines in the landscape will support Gulf and Variegated Fritillary caterpillars. Purple Passion Flower (Maypop) grows in full sun. These fast-growing vines need supporting structures like an arbor or fence. They tend to sprout near the original planting location, and these shoots may be potted up and shared with friends. By late summer, be prepared for lots of caterpillars: female fritillaries lay their eggs singly but will return to the same plant repeatedly if there are no others in the vicinity. Caterpillars will eat all parts of the plant including fruits.

Violets are spring flowering, deer-resistant perennials. Although much maligned because of their tenacity and tendency to spread, they can function as a low-maintenance groundcover in difficult landscape situations. Consider using them to fill in among shady spots where turfgrass has failed to thrive. They are vigorous and form dense mounding clumps approximately 5 to 7 inches from the ground. Violets attract many forms of wildlife that delight in their seeds, leaves, and rhizomes. These include mason bees, songbirds, wild turkeys, grouse, bobwhites, and mourning doves in addition to fritillary butterflies.

Nearby nectar sources are also important: fall blooming flowers such as gayfeathers/blazing stars (Liatris spp.), Blue Mistflower (Conaclinium coelestinum), and asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) are nectar magnets for many butterflies, including Variegated Fritillaries.