The Great Spangled Fritillary lays its eggs on the violet plant.  Just like the Monarch, the Great Spangled Fritillary lays one egg at a time. The eggs hatch in about 10 to 15 days.

Once the egg hatches they eat the leaves on the violet plant. The caterpillars are black with long spines all over and orange dots at the base. They are a caterpillar for an entire year!  When the caterpillar's hatch, they overwinter until the next spring and then start eating.

The Great Spangled Fritillary is orange with black spots and a brown body. The outside of the wings also have silver spots. They live for 2-10 weeks. They fly at a medium speed and usually in a straight line.