Everything about The Gulf Fritillary totally explained
The
Gulf Fritillary,
Agraulis vanillae, a striking, bright orange
butterfly of the family
Nymphalidae, subfamily
Heliconiinae. These were formerly classified in a separate family, the Heliconiidae or longwing butterflies, and like other longwings this species does have long, rather narrow wings in comparison with other butterflies. It isn't closely related to the true fritillaries. It is a medium to large butterfly, with a wingspan of from 6 to . Its underwings are buff, with large silvery spots. It takes its name from the fact that migrating flights of the butterflies are sometimes seen over the
Gulf of Mexico.
The Gulf Fritillary is commonly seen in parks and gardens, as well as in open country. Its range extends from
Argentina through
Central America,
Mexico, and the
West Indies to the southern
United States, as far north as the
San Francisco Bay Area on the west coast. It is occasionally found further north in the US.
Larva
The
larva or
caterpillar of the gulf fritillary grows to approximately in length and is bright orange in color and covered in rows of black spines on its head and back. The spines are soft to the touch and don't sting. However, the larva are poisonous if eaten, as the bright coloration advertises. The larva feed exclusively on various species of
passionflower such as
maypop (
Passiflora incarnata), the
yellow passionflower (
P. lutea) and
running pop (
P. foetida).
Their toxic flesh provides gulf fritillary caterpillars with excellent protection from predators. Many birds avoid them (Pinheiro 1996). Some specialized insects have been observed feeding on them, however, and larger caterpillars sometimes eat smaller ones. This species belongs to the "orange" Batesian
mimicy complex.
The chrysalis is approximately long; it's mottled brown and looks like a dry leaf.
Cultivation of passionflowers in gardens has enabled the gulf fritillary to extend its range, for example into new areas of southern and northern
California.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Gulf Fritillary'.
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