Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
Identification: Upperside bright orange with black markings; 3 black-encircled white dots on forewing leading edge. Underside brown; forewing with orange at base; both wings with elongated, iridescent silver spots.
Wing Span: 2 1/2 - 3 3/4 inches (6.3 - 9.5 cm).
Life History: Males patrol for females, who lay eggs on many parts of the host plant. Caterpillars feed on most parts of the host. Adults overwinter in the south.
Flight: Throughout the year in south Florida and South Texas, January-November in the north. Number of broods has not been determined.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various species of passion-vine including maypops (Passiflora incarnata) and running pop (P. foetida).
Adult Food: Nectar from lantana, shepherd\'s needle, cordias, composites, and others.
Habitat: Pastures, open fields, second-growth subtropical forest and edges, city gardens.
Range: South America north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to the southern United States. Wanders north to the central United States; rare northward.
Conservation: Not usually of concern.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Cultivate host plants.
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 289 - 312 of 4580 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 29, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 30, 2023
Observation date: Aug 28, 2023
Submitted by: zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 28, 2023
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 28, 2023
Observation date: Aug 28, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 28, 2023
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 23, 2023
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: Feb 24, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: Aug 08, 2023
Submitted by: firewoman
Region: Fayette County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 18, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Cayman Islands
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Aug 18, 2023
Observation date: Aug 14, 2023
Submitted by: blueracer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 17, 2023
Observation date: Jul 09, 2023
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 15, 2023
Observation date: Aug 10, 2023
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 12, 2023
Observation date: Aug 06, 2023
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: Williamson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 01, 2023
Submitted by: pamelmmc
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 10, 2023
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Jul 30, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 31, 2023
Observation date: Jul 10, 2023
Submitted by: jwilkinson
Region: Currituck County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
Observation date: Jun 05, 2023
Submitted by: Debo
Region: Montgomery County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 19, 2023
Observation date: Jul 10, 2023
Submitted by: aturney
Region: Texas, Polk County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 19, 2023
Observation date: Jul 04, 2023
Submitted by: heather-russell
Region: Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 16, 2023
Observation date: Jul 12, 2023
Submitted by: Jbartkus
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 12, 2023
Observation date: Jul 04, 2023
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 11, 2023
Observation date: Jul 09, 2023
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 09, 2023
Observation date: Oct 19, 2022
Submitted by: Kitty K
Region: Bay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 28, 2023
- ‹ previous
- 13 of 191
- next ›