Great Spangled Fritillary

September 15

A Great Spangled Fritillary perched on a wildflower
It seems an odd name for a butterfly, so I looked it up.
“Fritillary” – from the Latin work fritillus, meaning “dice-box”: it’s due to the spots and mottled patterns.
Johan Christian Fabricius, a Danish zoologist, came up with the name in 1775.
I’m no closer to appreciating their system of naming.