Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
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The Gulf Fritillary is one of more frequently seen butterflies around the Garden. They are members of the Heliconid family, whose caterpillars feed almost exclusively on passionflower vines. There is a large stand of purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) near one of the entrances to the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, and the tiny yellow passionflower (P. lutea) also grows nearby.
The undersides of the wings are silvery spotted, while the tops are orange. The male, shown directly below, has darker orange wings and a bit less of the black markings. The female is shown in the next photo down.
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Most passionflower plants in Austin are host at one time or another to the larvae of the Gulf Fritillary. The eggs are yellow and are laid singly on the tendrils, leaves or stems. The caterpillars can often be seen getting ready to pupate, as they don't travel far from their host plants. The chrysalis, or pupa, resembles a dead leaf.
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The caterpillars are purple (or sometimes black) and orange striped, with branching black spines. The spines are not dangerous like those of some moth larvae.
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class: Insecta / order: Lepidoptera / family: Heliconiidae / genus: Agraulis / species: vanillae
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