| A very large family
of butterflies with 23 species known to breed in Florida. |
Gulf Fritillary
(front and back)
Dione (Agraulis) vanillae nigrior |
Habitat: Open fields and gardens.
Flight: All year.
Preferred Foods: Spanish needle (Bidens pilosa) and lantana (Lantana
spp.).
Larvae: On maypops (Passiflora incarnate).
Distribution: All of Florida. |
Orange (=Julia) Long Wing
(front and back)
Dryas iulia largo |
Habitat: Hardwood hammock and open fields.
Flight: All year.
Preferred Foods: Spanish needle (Bidens pilosa) and lantana (Lantana
spp.).
Larvae: On passion vine (Passiflora spp.).
Distribution: South Florida. |
Zebra Long Wing
Heliconius chartonius tuckeri |
Habitat: Hardwood hammocks, brushy fields,
pine-oak woods and gardens.
Flight: All year.
Preferred Foods: Spanish needle (Bidens pilosa) and lantana (Lantana
spp.).
Larvae: On passion vine (Passiflora spp.).
Distribution: All of Florida. |
Variegated Fritillary
Euptoieta claudia |
Habitat: Open fields.
Flight: March to December.
Preferred Foods: Search for nectar from a variety of plants.
Larvae: Feed on various plants including stonecrop (sedum spp.)
and beggar's tick (Desmodium spp.).
Distribution: All of Florida. |
Streamside (=Silvery) Checkerspot
Chlosyne (Charidryas) nycteis |
Habitat: Open moist deciduous woods.
Flight: March to September.
Preferred Foods: Milkweed (Asclepias spp.), red clover (Trifolium
pratense) and composites.
Larvae: On composites.
Distribution: Florida near Marianna only. |
Seminole (=Texas) Crescent
Phyciodes (Anthanassa) texana seminole |
Habitat: Along banks of streams.
Flight: March to November.
Preferred Foods: Various flowers.
Larvae: Feed on water willow Justicia sp.,
Acanthaceae.
Distribution: Florida south to Orlando and Tampa. |
|
|
Black (=Cuban) Crescent
Phyciodes (Eresia) frisia |
Habitat: Open fields.
Flight: All year; migratory.
Preferred Foods: Various flowers.
Larvae: On shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana) and others.
Distribution: Tropical Florida. |
Mat Plant (=Phaon) Crescent
Phyciodes phaon |
Habitat: Swampy areas.
Flight: March to December.
Preferred Foods: Flowers of mat grass (Lippia nodiflora) and other
composites.
Larvae: On mat grass.
Distribution: All of Florida. |
Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos tharos |
Habitat: Swampy areas and open fields.
Flight: All year in south Florida.
Preferred Foods: Many kinds of flowers including Spanish needle, milkweed
and many composites.
Larvae: Feed on various smooth-leaved asters.
Distribution: All of Florida, rarely on Keys. |
Question Mark
Polygonia interrogationis |
Habitat: Open fields and deciduous woods.
Flight: All year.
Preferred Foods: Attracted to sap, rotting fruit, carrion, dung and mud.
Larvae: On various trees, Ulmaceae, Moraceae, and herbaceous
Urticaceae.
Distribution: Northern Florida south to Orlando and Ft. Myers. |
Comma Anglewing (=Hop Merchant)
Polygonia comma |
Habitat: Open fields.
Flight: May to September.
Preferred Foods: Attracted to sap, fruit, carrion and mud.
Larvae: On nettle and elm family.
Distribution: Northern Florida, Panhandle south to Gainesville
area. |
Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa |
Habitat: Open deciduous woodlands.
Flight: February to March.
Preferred Foods: Attracted to nectar, sap, decaying plants and mud.
Larvae: On many species of trees, but not palm or pine.
Distribution: Florida in Jacksonville and Tampa areas only. |
American Painted Lady
Vanessa virginiensis |
Habitat: Open fields and gardens.
Flight: All year, though mainly spring and fall.
Preferred Foods: Attracted to nectar and mud.
Larvae: On many species of asters.
Distribution: All of Florida. |
|
|
Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta rubria |
Habitat: Open fields, deciduous forests and
gardens.
Flight: All year.
Preferred Foods: Attracted to sap flows, fermenting fruits and bird
droppings, rarely on flowers.
Larvae: On nettles (Urticaceae), false nettles (Boehmena cylindrica)
and Moraceae.
Distribution: All of Florida. |
The Buckeye
Precis (Junonia) coenia |
Habitat: Open weedy fields and pine woods.
Flight: All year.
Preferred Foods: Visit composite flowers.
Larvae: On snapdragons (Anthirrhinum orontium), plantain (Plantago
lanceolata) and Acanthaceae.
Distribution: All of Florida. |
Black Mangrove (=Caribbean) Buckeye
Precis (Junonia) genoveva |
Habitat: Open fields with low vegetation,
coastal black mangrove swamps and tidal flats.
Flight: All year.
Preferred Foods: Visits flowers of various plants.
Larvae: On herbaceous Verbenacaea, black mangrove (Avicennia germinans)
and blue porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis).
Distribution: South Florida along coast. |
White Peacock
Anartia jatrophae guantanamo |
Habitat: Open fields near swampy areas,
ponds and streams.
Flight: All year in south Florida.
Preferred Foods: Visits Spanish needle.
Larvae: On Scrophalariaceae, including water hyssop (Bacopa monniera),
Acanthaceae, such as Ruellia spp.
Distribution: Peninsular Florida. |
Malachite
Siproeta stelenes biplagiata |
Habitat: In wooded area, in mango, citrus
and avocado groves.
Flight: All year.
Preferred Foods: Attracted to rotting fruit, dung and flowers.
Larvae: On cajetin (Blechum brownei) and Ruellia spp.
Distribution: Tropical Florida. |
Red Spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis astyanax |
Habitat: Open woodlands, open fields near
edge of forests.
Flight: March to October.
Preferred Foods: Attracted to rotting fruit, carrion, dung and sap flows.
Larvae: On wild cherry (Prunus serotina), oaks and other trees.
Distribution: Florida south to Orlando and Tampa, rare southward. |
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|
Viceroy
Limenitis archippus floridensis |
Habitat: Brushy fields marshes and lake
shores.
Flight: April to September.
Preferred Foods: Attracted carrion, dung and flowers of composites.
Larvae: On willows (Salicaceae).
Distribution: All of Florida except Keys. |
Large (=Florida) Purplewing
Eunica tatila tatilista |
Habitat: Hardwood hammocks.
Flight: All year except June.
Preferred Foods: Attracted to rotting fruit, dung, mud and sap flows,
rarely visits flowers.
Larvae: On crabwood Gymnanthes lucida (Euphorbiaceae).
Distribution: Tropical Florida. |
Dingy Purplewing
Eunica monima |
Habitat: Hardwood hammocks.
Flight: May to December.
Preferred Foods: Attracted to sap flows, rotting fruit, carrion, dung and
mud rarely visits flowers. Rests in trees.
Larvae: On gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba,
Burseraceae).
Distribution: Tropical Florida, rare. |
Red (=Ruddy) Dagger Wing
Marpesia pretreus |
Habitat: Hardwood hammocks, wooded swampy
areas..
Flight: All year.
Preferred Foods: Visits giant milkweed, rotting fruit and mud.
Larvae: On wild banyon tree (Ficus citrifolia) and common fig (Ficus
carica).
Distribution: Florida from St. Augustine and Tampa south. |
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More:
Butterfly Index, Butterfly Plants,
Brushfoots, Milkweeds,
Swallowtails |
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