Sunday 16 April 2000

Gulf Fritillary (Dione vanillae)

OTHER NAMES: Passion Butterfly
Latin Etymology: Dione (DionÄ“ - the mother of Venus) vanillae ("vanilla")

Adult Gulf Fritillary (Dione vanillae) at Hayward, California - September 2022


Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: ?  /  Length: ?  /  Wingspan: 6.5-9.5cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

At a glimpse, this species might be mistaken for a Monarch, however, it isn't closely related. It is found from the Southern United States down to parts of South America and has a wide variety of host plants, notably including various species of passion flower, which contribute to its alternate name of passion butterfly. They possess some odorous chemicals as a defensive mechanism from predators.

Related Species:
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae 
Genus: Dione
SUBSPECIES: ?

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Found at Southern States
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at  Hayward  

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

No comments:

Post a Comment