The gulf fritillary, the orange beauty, has been one of abundance lately. It was seen visiting both the red penta and dune sunflower.

The Gulf Fritillary, argaulis vanilae, can be found in all 67 counties of Florida. The females tend to be larger than males. The female coloring is darker orange with more extensive markings, while the male is lighter orange with less prominent markings.

The gulf fritillary’s life span is anywhere from 14 to 27 days.