Variegated Fritillary Euptoieta claudia

The genus name translates from Greek as "easily scared" — and this butterfly absolutely lives up to it, bolting at the slightest approach. Unlike most fritillaries tied to violets, this one uses a wide range of host plants including passionflowers, a connection that links it evolutionarily to the toxic heliconian butterflies of the tropics. It's nomadic rather than sedentary, constantly wandering in search of new territory rather than staying near its birthplace.

With two or three broods a year and a range spanning the entire Americas, this is one fritillary that refuses to be pinned down — in every sense of the word.