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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 4580 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 20, 2025
Submitted by: cfield
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 23, 2025
Observation date: Sep 21, 2025
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Richland County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 22, 2025
Observation date: Sep 16, 2025
Submitted by: 1018cooper@gmail.com
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 16, 2025
Observation date: Sep 13, 2025
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 15, 2025
Observation date: Sep 12, 2025
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 14, 2025
Observation date: Sep 14, 2025
Submitted by: Ivyrk87
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 14, 2025
Observation date: Sep 11, 2025
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 12, 2025
Observation date: Jul 09, 2025
Submitted by: houdini73
Region: Brown County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 10, 2025
Observation date: Aug 26, 2025
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 27, 2025
Observation date: Aug 24, 2025
Submitted by: cfield
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 25, 2025
Observation date: Aug 19, 2025
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 19, 2025
Observation date: Aug 19, 2025
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 19, 2025
Observation date: Aug 17, 2025
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 18, 2025
Observation date: Aug 13, 2025
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Calhoun County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 14, 2025
Observation date: Aug 07, 2025
Submitted by: Lois Colton
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 12, 2025
Observation date: Aug 02, 2025
Submitted by: Rainbow83
Region: Maui County, Hawaii, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 12, 2025
Observation date: Aug 09, 2025
Submitted by: cfield
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 12, 2025
Observation date: Jul 04, 2025
Submitted by: KristyBaker
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 03, 2025
Observation date: Jul 20, 2025
Submitted by: cfield
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 21, 2025
Observation date: Jul 06, 2025
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 15, 2025
Observation date: Apr 26, 2017
Submitted by: Rob Williams
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 14, 2025
Observation date: Jul 03, 2025
Submitted by: Rob Williams
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Oct 28, 2024
Submitted by: inthewoodssomewhere
Region: Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Jul 06, 2025
Submitted by: TJM321
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 08, 2025
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