Florida Insects

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Gulf Fritillary
Butterfly

This butterfly is called a Gulf
Fritillary because it's found in
the different states that border
the Gulf of Mexico. Fritillary
after the flower that the Gulf
Fritillary looks like.

Year round you can find them
in south Florida where they
never get a freeze during the
winters. Other areas that have
freezing temperatures loose
their populations of the Gulf
Fritillary Butterfly as in any
of it's stages of life it can't
survive below freezing temps.
They recolonize the norther
area of the state during the
warmer months.

The Gulf Fritillary can be found
in city gardens, brushy fields
and along woodland edges.
These photos were taken in
our own back yard in Pinellas
Park Florida.

In it's larvae or caterpillar stage
it feeds off passion vines and
is red and black stripped down
its length with four rows of
spikes that look menacing but
is actually harmless to humans

As the Gulf Fritillary ages it's
wings increasingly get torn
until they can't fly when the
wings are down to about half
of it's original size.

Written By Glenn Walnum

Family - Nymphalidae
Subfamily - Heliconiinae
Wingspan - 2.5" to 3.8"

Photos By
Melissa Walnum