Gulf fritillary
Agraulis vanillae
Butterfly
The Gulf fritillary is a bright orange brush-footed butterfly of the southern United States. Its caterpillars are obligate specialists on passionflowers (Passiflora), feeding on the leaves and other plant parts; the silver-spotted adults nectar at a range of flowers. Gardeners who want to host its larvae must grow a Passiflora species, as no other plant family supports its caterpillars.
Plants in the catalog
Larval host plants · 2
Gulf fritillary larvae are obligate Passiflora feeders; BAMONA and the Florida Wildflower Foundation name Passiflora incarnata (maypop) as a larval host.
Gulf fritillary caterpillars are obligate Passiflora feeders, and passion-fruit vine (Passiflora edulis), like other passionflowers, can serve as a larval host where their ranges overlap in warm climates.
Specialist host plants · 2
Agraulis vanillae caterpillars are passionflower specialists; UC ANR and UF/IFAS document the family-level dependence on Passiflora, with P. incarnata a named host.
Agraulis vanillae caterpillars are passionflower specialists dependent on the genus Passiflora, which includes this species; the family-level host dependence is well established for passionflowers generally.
Nectar plants · 1
A likely nectar visitor in the warmer (southern) part of the range where the butterfly occurs.
Range
Resident across the southern United States from Florida and the Gulf Coast through the Southwest, straying northward into the central states where it is rare.