A Lace Butterfly and her Violet Home

This is the Australian Fritillary butterfly happy and at home in the wetlands. It has delicate orange and black wings that look like lace. Its caterpillar form is dark, spikey and also a picky eater. It only feeds on the leaves of the native Arrowhead Violet plant. It is a sad story because this beautiful butterfly is in danger of becoming extinct because of habitat destruction and overgrown weeds destroying the only food supply for its caterpillars. These hungry caterpillars, with no food, cannot grow into healthy lace butterflies. The Australian Fritillary butterflies have not been seen in the wild for more than ten years but I hope we will one day see them again in an area where their violet home is protected.