Aphrodite Fritillary
Speyeria aphrodite

Summary
Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, had nothing on this gorgeous butterfly! This member of the fritillary family has many close cousins with a similar look, making identification something of a challenge. Complicating things even further, males and females are different sizes, and hues vary in different regions of the country. The butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of flowers, but like the great spangled fritillary, their larvae feed on violets. The female lays an egg on or near violet plants in late summer, and the caterpillar soon hatches, finds a place to shelter and then goes into diapause until spring, when it will feed voraciously on the violets’ foliage.
More Details
FAMILY
Nymphalidae (Brushfoots)
IDENTIFICATION
Wingspan: 2.2-3.5 inches. Slightly smaller than Great Spangled Fritillary.
HABITAT
Upland woodland areas, grassy fields, dry meadows.
LIFE CYCLE
One brood. Overwinters as unfed first instar larva. The chrysalis adopts a brownish-black hue with distictinve yellow wing cases.
HOST PLANTS
Common blue violet (Viola sororia) and other violets.
Ecosystem Connections
The caterpillars are herbivores that graze on vegetation, and adults serve a role in pollination. All life stages provide food for predators. Additionally, because butterflies are so sensitive to toxins and disturbance, they are good indicators of the overall health of ecosystems.