Tag Archives: Gulf fritillary caterpillars

Back with a vengeance

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The butterflies are loving the warm Southwest Florida weather again. We had some cold spells this winter, and the daily butterfly visits came to a stop for the most part. 

I am delighted to say that the gulf fritillary butterfly has come back with a vengeance.

The caterpillar population has exploded these past few weeks. The upside to this, the maypop passionvine continues to pop up everywhere in and outside of the garden giving the caterpillars plenty to eat as they grow through their multiple instars. 

I decided to put some caterpillars in our butterfly house, a move made after cleaning up the garden and moving the plant out of harms way in the actual yard.

There are quite a few chrysalis in the butterfly house currently. 

Yesterday the first butterfly emerged.

Unique

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The maypop passionvine flower is among one of the most unique flowers in my garden, and the most invasive.

This plant has taken over the garden, inside and outside, of the space. To say I have an abundance is an understatement. The gulf fritillary butterfly has a ton of host plant to lay eggs on, and the caterpillars food to eat.

Still an abundance

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A walk through the garden showed an abundance of gulf fritillary caterpillars hungrily chomping away on my maypop passionvine, which of course turned into more in the butterfly house. The ones I found are of good size and look to be almost done with their last instar.

Munch away

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The gulf fritillary caterpillar will eat between 11 to 16 days to reach the correct size to create its chrysalis. This guy is nearing the end of the final instar.

With the maypop passion vine popping up all over the yard, outside of the garden, it has been easy to feed the caterpillars that are residing in the butterfly house. They do not discriminate against any part of the plant – once the flowers and leaves are gone, they go after the stem of the plant.

And of course, what the caterpillar turns into after emerging from its chrysalis. A gulf fritillary butterfly.

Caterpillars

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Gulf fritillary caterpillar.

There are three sections of a caterpillars body, of course, with the first being the hard head, which includes its mouth on the lower side. The caterpillar has two jaws, which move from side to side, and includes either teeth, or blades, to cut, eat, through the leaves. On quite a few occasions, if you stop and listen closely, you can hear the caterpillars munching on the leaves.

The caterpillars found in the garden today are of various different sizes and species. I am sure there are more that we just did not find.

Monarch caterpillar.

In order for a caterpillar to grow, it molts, which I read can take a day or two for the entire process to be completed. It’s fascinating to watch, if you ever have the opportunity to do so. The molting process takes place on several occasions, as the caterpillar has to shed its skin, so it can continue to eat and grow to the desired length. When a caterpillar begins to molt, it will create a silk pad, while making sure its prolegs are firmly attached. I find it interesting that the caterpillar will swallow air to enlarge itself, before its cuticle splits along the thorax, so it can wiggle out of the old skin.

Polydamas (gold rim) caterpillar.