Meadow Fritillary

Here is a Meadow Fritillary on my garden shed.


(Click on image to enlarge)

Before it flew there, it was drinking nectar from a Maximillian Sunflower.

I was poking around for an explanation of its name — fritillary — and found this:

The common name comes from a Latin word, fritillus, which means chessboard or dice box. Fritillary is also the name of a flower with an interesting checkered pattern; it is obvious that both the flower and the butterfly get their common name because of such pattern.

Their larval host is the violet. I do have lots of violets growing by the shed; I shall have to look for caterpillars on them next spring.