It seems like butterfly species either feature bright colors or are completely drab.

The Great Spangled Fritillary finds a happy medium.

I love the subtle orangy brown color. And the black patterns across the wings make it more interesting.

It is bright but nor showy.

One feature of the Great Spangled Fritillary that I find interesting is the difference in the underside of the wing.

Often butterflies have similar but diminished colors on the underside of the wings as they do on the top side of the wings.

However, the Great Spangled Fritillary does it differently.

The Great Spangled Fritillary is orange and black above. But on the underside of the wing instead of being more drab it is the opposite.

The main orange color seems to have the same vibrancy. And on the lower lobe of the wing the black spots are replaced with bright silvery spots.

It is a really cool change to see when the Great Spangled Fritillary closes its wings above its body.

Photo details: Nikon D300. Nikon 300mm f/4. Focal length 420mm. ISO 400. 1/1250 sec. f/5.6.