Gulf Fritillary

The Gulf fritillary or passion butterfly is a bright orange butterfly in the subfamily Heliconiinae of the family Nymphalidae. That subfamily was formerly set apart as a separate family, the Heliconiidae. The Heliconiinae are "longwing butterflies", which have long, narrow wings compared to other butterflies. Scientific Name: Dione vanillae Range: Southern U.S. through South America — abundant in NOLA gardens Size: Wingspan 6.5–9.5 cm Status: Common ID Notes: Bright orange above with black markings; underside silver-spotted. Long narrow wings. Behavior / Notes: Caterpillars (orange with black spines) feed on passionflower (Passiflora). Common butterfly in Louisiana gardens.