Variegated Fritillary on White Prairie Aster

Euptoieta claudia, the Variegated Fritillary, is a medium sized butterfly with muted orange and black markings. This specimen is feeding on White Prairie Aster blooms which is a challenge considering their relative sizes.

Variegated Fritillaries belong the the brushfoot butterfly family, Nymphalidae. This species ranges over most of the U. S. and Canada feeding on a wide variety of wildflowers and grassland plants. They are found as far south as Argentina in South America but apparently not in the Pacific Northwest of the U. S. Notice the cream colored band on the underside of the wing. This is an identifying characteristic of this species.