The gulf fritillary sipping on some penta nectar.
The fritillary
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Category Archives: Gulf fritillary butterfly
The lovely
Tons of gulf fritillary butterflies are visiting the gardens today.
Here’s an assortment of the three visitors I was able to photograph . . . sipping on nectar (blue porterweed and lantana), resting and laying eggs.
It’s fascinating to watch them. One of them went from host plant to host plant laying eggs and then stopping at a nectar plant to take a sip before returning to lay more.
There was one that almost landed on my leg a few times, almost.
Sea of orange
My gardens have come alive again, which is such a great sign after so much devastation to Southwest Florida following Hurricane Ian.
The gulf fritilary has made a come back. Boy, oh, boy what a welcome sight. Great news is as of right now I have host plant galore for them to feed upon.
Some of the maypop passion vine that is growing outside the garden, I have been slowly picking to put in the butterfly house with caterpillars I am finding.
One of the caterpillars has already created its famous J, ready to make its chrysalis.
As I was cleaning out the last of my butterfly gardens this afternoon I spotted a gulf fritillary chrysalis on the post of our swings. That caterpillar sure traveled to find its perfect destination.
A nectar stop
The orange beauty, the gulf fritillary stopped by for some nectar from our red penta, and deposited some eggs on our maypop passion vine, which is popping up all over our garden.
The fritillary is a common butterfly among the extreme southern parts of the United States. They are one of abundance in Southwest Florida, especially when the gardens have their host plant, the corky stem passion vine and the maypop passion vine. They love the pentas, lantana and blue porterweed nectar flowers, I have witnessed.
The gulf fritillary is among the Nymphalidae family, Heliconiinae subfamily and the Agraulis vanillae genus species. In addition, they are among the “brush-footed” butterfly family.
The medium sized butterfly has elongated forewings, with a wingspan expanding between 65 and 95 millimeters long. As mentioned previously the females are larger in size, darker in color, and have more extensive markings.
Another fun fact, the gulf fritillary has the capability of releasing chemicals – an unpleasant odor – from their abdominal glands, which helps in preventing them becoming a snack to predators, such as birds. Those chemicals are consumed when they are caterpillars from their host plants.
A pair
It’s truly incredible to witness nature. Here are two gulf fritillary butterflies mating. They let me take a few photos before the male carried her away into our neighbors yard.
I have witnessed the mating “dance” before. The male will “clap” his wings over and over, open and close, letting out pheromones over the female. Eventually the female’s antennae will find its way between the male’s wings, which initiates the courtship.