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 1 - 24 of 4493 verified sightings
Observation date: Dec 03, 2024
Submitted by: Mary Scott
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Dec 06, 2024
Observation date: Oct 12, 2024
Submitted by: katiej
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 06, 2024
Observation date: Dec 02, 2024
Submitted by: matthew79n2
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 04, 2024
Observation date: Oct 13, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 02, 2024
Observation date: Nov 20, 2024
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 27, 2024
Observation date: Nov 18, 2024
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 27, 2024
Observation date: Nov 15, 2024
Submitted by: mojomagu
Region: Johnson County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 19, 2024
Observation date: Nov 08, 2024
Submitted by: Jovi16
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 09, 2024
Observation date: Nov 09, 2024
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 09, 2024
Observation date: Nov 08, 2024
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2024
Observation date: Oct 20, 2024
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 04, 2024
Observation date: Oct 30, 2024
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 02, 2024
Observation date: Nov 01, 2024
Submitted by: Barjones78
Region: Cass County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 01, 2024
Observation date: Oct 19, 2024
Submitted by: ctomkovich
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 28, 2024
Observation date: Sep 26, 2024
Submitted by: clover natureco
Region: Richmond, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Oct 28, 2024
Observation date: Oct 19, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 23, 2024
Observation date: Oct 20, 2024
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 20, 2024
Observation date: Oct 19, 2024
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 20, 2024
Observation date: Oct 15, 2024
Submitted by: baileyjt
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 17, 2024
Observation date: Oct 11, 2024
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 15, 2024
Observation date: Oct 02, 2024
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 15, 2024
Observation date: May 06, 2022
Submitted by: Arden K. Powell
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 14, 2024
Observation date: Oct 13, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Richland County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 14, 2024
Observation date: Oct 08, 2024
Submitted by: Mtmccullagh
Region: Gulf County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 12, 2024
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