In Jo's Yard - 20 The Gulf Fritillary & The Passion Vine

In entry #15, I wrote that I found a Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar on my “bonus” Purple Passion Vine, just two weeks after my yard was planted. Gulf Fritillary Butterflies are categorized as “longwing” because their wings are elongated.  Gulf Fritillaries have several broods in the spring and summer.  A typical adult Gulf Fritillary is 2.5”-3.0”.  They are found in open, sunny areas like fields and urban gardens.  They are found in the southern US from Florida to California and south through Mexico.  Nectar plants used by the Gulf Fritillary include Lantana, Verbena, Aster, but its host plants are the Passion Vine and Passion Flower.  The egg stage lasts 4-8 days; the Caterpillar (larval) stage lasts 2-3 weeks, The Chrysalis (pupal) stage is 5-10 days and Adult butterfly stage lasts 2-4 weeks.  Gulf fritillaries have a chemical defense mechanism in which they release odorous chemicals in response to predator sightings.

Now, five weeks after my front yard “went native”, I discovered that one of the Gulf Fritillary caterpillars made its chrysalis on the trellis.  I check it every day.  What good fortune, that one morning when I am checking, there is the Gulf Fritillary butterfly, drying its wings at 8:15AM. 



                     Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar on my Passion Vine – it’s orange and has “spikes”

           Gulf Fritillary Chrysalis on my trellis                   Gulf Fritillary Butterfly drying its wings