Fritillary adults and caterpillars are very common in fields, meadows, and other weedy areas. The caterpillars feed on violets.
The ones live near me eat passionflower leaves. I have a vine just for the very reason of attracting them. Here is a little fella that I am raising inside so we can watch the cycle.
Here is his head shot... Yeah, and he looks like he'd have painful spikes but they are like little growths on his skin. I've been stuck by a saddleback caterpillar so I was a little wary, but I read that it would be OK.
It depends on which of the many varieties you have there. We only get the gulf fritillary in my West Tennessee yard and he eats passion vines. There is a blue one that is native here and grows in all the fencerows.
