Gulf Fritillary was one of at least five butterfly species I saw on November 13 at Donnelley Wildlife Management Area.
As the morning warmed up more of them appeared.
The bank between the dike road and the big pond which has a variety of wild flowers and scrubby vegetation was attracting a lot of action.
Finally, a closed-wing view, showing off the underside of the Fritillary’s wing. Look close and you’ll see some fly action on the yellow blossom.
Also seen November 13, 2020
Some nearly gone by Morning Glories on the edge of a pond were attracting this Gulf Fritillary.
The supporting vegetation has provided some serious snacking, perhaps that caterpillar in the lower left was the beneficiary.
This was the first Gulf Fritillary I’ve seen this summer, one of just a few total butterflies I’ve noticed.
The wild purple statice, a non-native that grows along roadsides, in disturbed areas and old fields, seems to be thriving everywhere.
This stand of statice was along the side of a pond and the butterfly worked the tops, the road and pond side, and down into the depths of the plant which in some places was over my head.
June 26, 2020
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
We had frost Sunday and Monday night so I was surprised to see a Gulf Fritillary out and about today.
It was warmer, but windy, and he was working hard to stay on the flowers at the top of the Lantana.
Orange, the color of fall. Maybe the flower is more red, but it sure looks like a fall color scheme.
And a little purple thrown in to keep the butterfly happy.
Swamp sunflowers attract all kinds of insects including this Gulf Fritillary and a tiny photobombing one at the butterfly’s feet.
It’s fall and the Gulf Fritillaries are flitting around in the beach dunes.
This one was mostly showing off his underside, which is intricately patterned and very different than the upper side.
September 24, 2019, Kiawah Beach Dunes
At the end of the second week of October there were many Gulf Fritillary Butterflies still around.
Our temperatures have remained in the mid to high 80s during the day (27 plus C) which is above average for October. Only in the last few days have the nights gone down to 60 F (15 C).
Fortunately this favorite wildflower of the Fritillary is still blooming. Some lovely purple flowers just a few feet away had no attraction to this fellow.
Taken 10/09/2018, Charleston, SC.
Gulf Fritillaries were zipping all around the swamp edges yesterday morning in what I have come to recognize as a harbinger of fall in South Carolina.
There were a lot of spider webs, too, attached to every kind of plant around the swamp. I walked with a small stick to move those that blocked the trail and only walked into a couple.
Butterflies seem aware of the spider web strands and easily manipulate around them.
I saw this last Gulf Fritillary as we were leaving bouncing on a more delicate wild flower.
Taken 9/8/2018
I’ve seen a few Gulf Fritillaries around as recently as last week. In September they were everywhere you looked. These images were taken on the Morris Island end of Folly Beach where they were cavorting around in the flowers growing in the sand.
Although they fly about independently, if one butterfly finds something good another will soon follow.
They seemed OK at sharing if there were two vying for the same spot, and can hardly push each other around the way birds might do.
September 9, 2017, Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve.
