Starr County Butterflies
Egg, 4-17-10
Caterpillar on first day, 4-20-10
Body orange, 4-22-10
Black spines visible, 4-23-10
4-27-10
4-30-10
5-4-10
Mature caterpillar, 5-9-10
Chrysalis, 5-12-10
Ready to emerge, 5-15-10
Fresh adult Variegated Fritillary, ready for release, 5-16-10
I've found Variegated Fritillaries using a number of different plants; the caterpillar of this study came after I saw a female laying an egg on Flax, Linum (exact species undetermined). The plants are common but widely scattered in the fields near my house. One plant would not be nearly sufficient to feed a caterpillar, so the larvae evidently are capable of moving good distances and locating new plants to feed on.
The caterpillar emerged three days after the egg was deposited. After the first week, there was little change in appearance other than the size. The caterpillar pupated on May 11, 21 days after it eclosed from the egg. The chrysalis of a Variegated Fritillary is among the most beautiful that I have seen. The adult emerged 5 days after it pupated. The entire cycle took 29 days.