Variegated Fritillary-- Euphtoieta claudia

We all love to think of the butterflies with the flowers. Such a lovely scene, colorful wings and colorful flowers together. Butterflies do like nectar, but they like other things as well. You might see them at rotting fruit, drinking the juice that collects. Or near a puddle, getting a drink of water. In this picture, they are enjoying scat. Excrement. Crazy, but there it is. I like to think that the poop in Arizona is so sweet that the butterflies like it. But in reality, many butterflies in many areas like poop with all its grossness.

I think this is the only picture of the Variegated Fritillary. It was rather common. There were not swarms of them like the Bordered Patches or the Sisters, but there were plenty.