Nature Notes
by Bob Thomas

One of the most beautiful local butterflies is the Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae. They are now flitting about feeding on the nectar of a variety of flowers and laying their first eggs of the season. When they land to lay an egg or to feed on nectar, they usually fold their wings above the body and reveal silvery-white streaks on their lower wing surfaces.

Fritillaries are easily distinguished from the other common local similarly colored butterfly, the monarch, by their brighter orange coloration, a series of orange spots with thick black rings around them on the margins of the hind wings, and the absence of thick black stripes on the upper wing surfaces.

Gulf Fritillaries lay their eggs only on the leaves of passionflower vines (locally called maypops). Eggs are laid singly on the lower surface of the leaf.

Fritillary caterpillars are orange with black spikes scattered about along their backs and sides. They spend their days eating maypop leaves, and rest out of sight on the lower surface of the leaves.

The fritillary chrysalis (pupa) is an inch long, brown, and simply resembles a shriveled leaf hanging on a stem.

If you want gorgeous Gulf Fritillary butterflies in your yard, be sure to plant passionflower and the fritillaries are guaranteed to entertain you all summer and early fall with their frenetic flights about your yard.

Bright orange wings are diagnostic.                                             The silvery-white streaks on the under
Photo by Shannon Fortenberry.                                               wings are beautiful.
                                                                                                  Photo by Shannon Fortenberry.

Despite the black "needles" on their backs,
fritillary caterpillars do not sting. They feed
exclusively on passionflower.
Photo by Bob Thomas.