Gulf Fritillary on Daisy

The Gulf fritillary or passion butterfly (Dione vanillae) is a bright orange butterfly in the subfamily Heliconiinae of the family Nymphalidae. The Heliconiinae...
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The Gulf fritillary or passion butterfly (Dione vanillae) is a bright orange butterfly in the subfamily Heliconiinae of the family Nymphalidae. The Heliconiinae are "longwing butterflies", which have long, narrow wings compared to other butterflies. Gulf Fritillaries are most commonly found in the southern areas of the United States, specifically in many regions of Florida and Texas.

Fritillary butterflies have a chemical defense mechanism in which they release odorous chemicals in response to predator sightings. As a result, common predators learn to avoid this species.
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