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The Gulf Fritillary Butterfly

Passiflora caerulea is a host plant for the Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae butterfly.

The Gulf Fritillary butterfly is native to Texas and can be found fluttering about in the warm Summer sun feeding on floral nectar in your garden.

The Passion flower vine is the specific host plant for the female butterfly, Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae.  It can be found at plant nurseries state wide.  The Passionflower has a beautiful bloom and it is quite astounding in its intricacies.  Many artists have delved into its spectacular characteristics.  This specific passionflower is a favorite of the Gulf Fritillary butterfly.  Healthy offspring, caterpillars (larva) can be reared on this specific vine.

The fertilized female Gulf Fritillary butterfly will light upon the tips of new growth or its tendrils to  lay her eggs.  The eggs are cylindrical in shape and are colored a soft orange.  In just about five days the eggs will hatch and an almost minuscule caterpillar will emerge.  The youngster will feed upon the tender new growth of the leaf tips.

  After four molting stages called in-stars, the caterpillar which has grown much larger will pupate and metamorphosis will take place. The caterpillar attaches itself to the underside of a leaf the bottom of a vine or even the eves of your home with a silk substance it exudes from its body.  Hanging upside down the caterpillars hormones trigger the metamorphic cycle.

 Inside the pupae, the organs are formed and the caterpillar changes into a butterfly.  In just a few weeks, the butterfly emerges from the pupae and its curled up wings unfurl and elongate.  As the butterfly pumps the fluid from its body into the veins of its wings they are outstretched and able to dry.  If the temperatures are above 75 or so degrees, the butterfly is able to take flight and find its food source which would nectar.  Nectar is readily available to the adult butterfly in the form of a liquid exuded into the floral center of nectar producing plants.  Not all plants produce this rich food for butterflies.  Some butterflies feed on the sugars of rotting fruit, sip minerals from mud puddles or absorb pollen through their proboscis. Once again, the circle of life continues.

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