The Butterflies of the World Foundation

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Variegated Fritillary

Euptoieta claudia, Cramer, 1775

Subfamily Heliconiinae

Tribe Argynnini

Taxonomy

The family Nymphalidae is the largest butterfly family and includes about 6,000 species which are further divided up into 12 subfamilies.  The common name for the family is the Brushfoots or Brushfooted Butterflies.  This strange name is because the first pair of legs are significantly reduced, sometimes to mere stubs, and look like little brushes.  Some of the most common and well known species are in this group such as the Monarch, Red Admiral, Blue Morpho and Painted Lady.  Some of the longest lived butterflies are in this family with some species living over 10 months as adults.  The Brushfoots are distributed worldwide, with the highest diversity found in the tropics.  With this variety, there is also quite a difference in behavior, adult food choices and habitat preference from species to species.

Euptoieta claudia, captured by robber fly, Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma, 22 May 2007                                    Ref #:  I-377-1.3

Euptoieta claudia, pupa, Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma, 23 April 2007

                                                         Ref #:  I-369-14

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Euptoieta claudia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 26 September 2005                                                                           Ref #:  I-323-5.2

Euptoieta claudia, one half mile south of Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 1 June 2008                                                    Ref #:  I-388-16.1

Euptoieta claudia, Denbigh Experimental Forest, McHenry County, North Dakota, 28 September 2003                                                                         Ref #:  I-222-11.1

Euptoieta claudia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 26 September 2005                                                                           Ref #:  I-324-6.1

Euptoieta claudia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 11 July 2009                                                                                      Ref #:  I-425-6

Euptoieta claudia, ovipositing on Passionflower, Passiflora sp., Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 28 August 2010           Ref #:  I-457-14

Euptoieta claudia, ovipositing on Passionflower, Passiflora sp., Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 28 August 2010           Ref #:  I-457-15

Euptoieta claudia, freshly oviposited egg on Passionflower, Passiflora sp., Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 28 August 2010

                                                                                              Ref #:  I-457-18.3

Violet, Viola sp., a common larval food source, Twisted Oaks Picnic Area, Turtle Mountain State Forest, North Dakota                                                             Ref #:  F-23-6.4

Violet, Viola sp., a common larval food source, Twisted Oaks Picnic Area, Turtle Mountain State Forest, North Dakota                                              Ref #:  F-35-20.3

Violet, Viola sp., a common larval food source, Twisted Oaks Picnic Area, Turtle Mountain State Forest, North Dakota                                                           Ref #:  F-23-16.5

Violet, Viola sp., a common larval food source, Twisted Oaks Picnic Area, Turtle Mountain State Forest, North Dakota                                                          Ref #:  F-34-15.11

General Information:

Euptoieta claudia belongs to the subfamily Heliconiinae.  This species is found from the higher elevations of Argentina through Central America and Mexico to the southern United States and regularly disperses throughout the U.S. and southern Canada.  It can be found in most open areas including vacant lots, fields and city parks.

Lifecycle:

The larval food source are a variety of plants in several families including passionvines, Passiflora sp., may apple, Podophyllum peltata, violets, Viola sp., purslane, Portulaca sp., stonecrop, Sedum sp., and moonseed, Menispermum sp.  Males patrol short distances in open places to look for females. Eggs are laid singly on host plant stems and leaves and caterpillars eat leaves and flowers.

Euptoieta claudia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 26 September 2005                                                                             Ref #:  I-323-3

Violet, also called Wild Pansy or Johnny Jump Up, Viola sp., a common larval food source, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma         Ref #:  F-60-2.1

Violet, also called Arrowleaf Violet, Viola sp., a common larval food source, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma                          Ref #:  F-60-1

Euptoieta claudia, larva, Pontotoc Ridge Preserve, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, 18 April 2012                                                                                          Ref #:  I-502-19

Euptoieta claudia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 9 May 2012                                                                                 Ref #:  I-505-10.3

Euptoieta claudia, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 2 June 2012                                                                                  Ref #:  I-523-6.1

Euptoieta claudia, mating pair, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 16 May 2012                                                Ref #:  I-511-10.3