Tropical Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The Tropical Fritillary is an orange butterfly native to southern and eastern Asia, New Guinea, and Australia; the United States is outside its native range. Females have broad black-and-white tips on their forewings, while males look more like other orange fritillaries.

Appearance

Appearance: Adults can span about 2.8 in (7 cm). Both sexes are orange with black spots, but a typical female has much larger dark markings and a broad pale band near each forewing tip.
Seasonal forms: Males and females can look so different that beginners may think they are separate species.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: open grassland
forest edges
parks and gardens
Range: Its native range runs across southern and eastern Asia to New Guinea and Australia; the United States is outside that range.
Preferred conditions: Adults visit flowers in open sunny places, and caterpillars need violets nearby.

Behavior

Activity: Adults fly by day and visit flowers for nectar.

Life cycle

Larva: The caterpillar is black with orange markings and rows of branched spines.
Caterpillar food plants: Caterpillars feed on violets. Females may place single eggs on or close to a host plant.

Name and classification

About the name: Older sources also call this butterfly Argyreus hyperbius. It is also called Indian fritillary.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

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