Gulf Fritillary Butterfly Images

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly Images, Facts and Information:

Dione vanillae

• Gulf Fritillary butterflies are medium-sized longwing butterflies with bright orange wings adorned with black markings and silvery spots on the underwings. Females are typically larger and have more pronounced markings than males.
• Gulf Fritillaries are found year-round in the southern United States, from California to Florida. They migrate northward in spring and summer, reaching as far as the Midwest and occasionally the Northeast.
• Gulf Fritillary butterflies inhabit open, sunny areas such as fields, meadows, gardens, roadsides, and forest edges where their host plants grow.
• Gulf Fritillaries feed on nectar from a variety of flowers as adults. Their caterpillars exclusively eat passion vine leaves.
• Gulf Fritillary butterflies lay single eggs on or near passion vines. Caterpillars hatch in about 3-5 days and pupate after 2-3 weeks. Adults emerge from chrysalises after about 7-10 days.
• Gulf Fritillary butterflies are also known as “Passion Butterflies” due to their reliance on passion vines.
• A group of butterflies can be called a “flutter”, “swarm”, “rabble”, or “kaleidoscope” of butterflies.
• The lifespan of adult Gulf Fritillary butterflies is typically 2-4 weeks.

I hope you enjoy viewing my Gulf Fritillary butterfly photos.