Gulf fritillary

The Gulf fritillary or passion butterfly (Agraulis vanillae) is a bright orange butterfly in the subfamily Heliconiinae of the family Nymphalidae.
Gulf fritillaries 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. Pheromones play a critical role in male-female courtship behaviors, with male gulf fritillaries emitting sex pheromones that contribute to mate choice in females.
The scientific name was given to the gulf fritillary by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, based on a 1705 painting by Maria Sibylla Merian, which shows the adult and caterpillar of the gulf fritillary on a vanilla orchid, however, it is now known that the gulf fritillary caterpillar does not use the vanilla plant. The species was later moved to the genus Agraulis.
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