Gulf Fritillary

One of Central Florida's most common butterflies bears one of the most mispronounced names. The Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) fools folks who think "fritillary" rhymes with "artillary". The correct pronunciation is "FRIT-uh-larry". Now that you've got that down, take a look at the life cycle of this beautiful butterfly.

EGG. Gulf Fritillaries lay their eggs on plants in the Passionvine family (Passiflora), with Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) and Corky-Stem Passionvine (Passiflora suberosa) being particular favorites. Unlike Zebra Longwings, who share their range and host plant, Gulf Fritillaries lay their eggs singly, usually on the top sides of leaves. The eggs are ovoid and usually yellow in color, darkening just before the tiny caterpillar hatches about 3 days later.

LARVA. The caterpillars of this butterfly are bright orange in color, with lateral black lines that may or may not be obvious. They are covered in black tubercles ending in stiff spikes, which are harmless to humans but certainly will scare off many predators. They spend 10 - 14 days eating passionvine before pupating.

PUPA. The Gulf Fritillary chrysalis camouflages itself by looking like a dead leaf. It is an active chrysalis, wiggling when touched to scare off predators like ants. Rather than merely hanging straight down, this chrysalis will sometimes bend almost 90 degrees at its base. 

ADULT. Gulf Fritillaries are a brilliant orange, with black veining. The undersides of their wings are covered in reflective white scales, which help this butterfly blend in with its surrounding surprisingly well. This is a butterfly that can disappear in an instant simply by landing and closing its wings. Males and females of these species are virtually identical, so unless you catch one laying eggs, it's difficult to tell which is which.

Mating pair of Gulf Fritillaries

Gulf Fritillaries are members of the Heliconian (Heliconiinae) sub-family, which also includes Florida's three other passionvine-hosting butterflies: Zebra Longwing, Julia Longwing, and Variegated Fritillary. (see photos of all these butterflies by clicking here). Gulf Fritillaries are sometimes mistaken for Monarchs due to their shared orange and black coloration, but once you compare the two side-by-side, you'll never mistake one for the other again.

Gulf Fritillaries are common in Florida and much of the Southern. U.S. Their range extends south through Central America and into South America. Depending upon the weather and availability of their host plant, they can sometimes wander as far north as the upper Midwest. They are easy to attract to any butterfly garden in their range - plant a good variety of nectar plants and include some passionvine, and these butterflies will almost certainly pay you a visit.