The wings of the Gulf Fritillary resemble stained glass, artfully designed to reflect light and enhance the beauty of any garden. While similar in size to the Monarch, the Gulf Fritillary can be easily distinguished by the striking silver-gray patches on the underside of its wings. Its broad and elegant wingspan allows it to glide effortlessly, sometimes far out over the Gulf waters.

The upper side of the wings is a vivid orange, adorned with neat rows of black spots along the center and edges, giving this butterfly a refined yet radiant appearance. A common sight in southern gardens, the Gulf Fritillary brings motion and brilliance to butterfly habitats.

 

“Gulf Fritillary Butterfly” by Ken Slade, licensed under (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

Gulf Fritillary Facts

Butterfly Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Heliconiinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 2 1/2 – 3 3/4 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Pastures, open fields, second-growth subtropical forest and edges, and city gardens

 

🪴 Host Plants

These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:

• Corkystem Passionflower (Passiflora suberosa)

• Purple Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

• Yellow Passionflower (Passiflora lutea)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult Gulf Fritillary butterflies feed on nectar from:

• Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.)

• Beggarticks (Bidens alba)

• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

• Climbing Aster (Symphyotrichum carolinianum)

• Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.)

• Scorpionstail (Heliotropium angiospermum)

• Snow Squarestem (Melanthera nivea)

• Stokes’ Aster (Stokesia laevis)

• Wild Sage (Lantana involucrata)

• Yellowroot (Morinda royoc)