Gulf Fritillary

Lots of butterflies enjoy visiting our garden, but they’re usually flitting around too quickly to capture them in photos. A couple days ago this Gulf Fritillary took a while to warm up in the autumn chill, so Dave had a chance to take these great shots. The butterfly even found a sunny perch on a Sobralia bud. Its brilliant orange wings and body dramatically contrast with the unfolding purple bloom.

Gulf Fritillary butterflyGulf Fritillary on Sobralia budClose up of Gulf Fritillary on Sobralia

Sights like these are their own reward, and also a reminder of what toxic pesticides can destroy. I’d rather have a few bugs on my plants and be able to enjoy nature, so I avoid artificial chemicals and rely on beneficial insects. Gulf Fritillaries have an enormous range through much of the Western Hemisphere, spanning from the USA to Argentina. The caterpillars feed on passionflower plants, and it’s likely this insect once munched on our large purple passionflower vine.

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6 Comments on “Gulf Fritillary”

  1. Cecelia94 Says:

    So very pretty! My spouse and I stumbled over here from a different page and thought I may as well check things out. I like what I see so now i am following you. Look forward to checking out your web page again.

  2. CC16 Says:

    excellent shots
    thanks for sharing them

  3. Lara Holmes Says:

    I was curious if you ever thought of changing the layout of your blog? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or 2 pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?

  4. Peter Harris Says:

    Great pictures! we have those too here in the South but I never knew what they wre called.

    It’s best not to spray pesticides for your health. I don’t use them either. I guess that is why I’m fortunate to have these butterflies also in my garden. Thanks for your blog post.

  5. HS91 Says:

    I seriously love ur photos. I enjoy these butterfly pics a lot.

  6. JHon56 Says:

    Very great pics.. I seriously love your site.. Very nice colors & theme.