Isn’t she beautiful? She is busily taking nectar from these milkweed flowers. My experience has been that milkweed and teasel flowers are their most prized food providers.

Great spangled fritillary females are larger than males. They spend less time flying than the males do. Males fly for long, long periods of time, looking, looking for a mate.

The sugars and other foods in the nectar must provide the energy for 20 to 30 minutes of flying. Very impressive.

Those of you lucky enough to have large lots can easily attract lots of butterflies if  you support a small stand of milkweed and teasel.

Those of you who don’t have large lots, make some time and go on a butterfly spotting hike in your local city, county, state or national refuge/park. You’ll see fantastic stuff guaranteed. April, May and June are the best = no nasty biters are about.

Jeffrey