One of the most eye-catching butterflies flitting about East Texas gardens during summer and fall is the Gulf fritillary.

The Gulf Fritillary is one of the more colorfully marked butterfly species that, in the opinion of many naturalists, is one of the most beautiful butterflies in the southwest.

Want to See the Gulf Fritillary Life Cycle? Plant Passionflower! (Or watch this video) ...

Although maypop and other passionflowers contain bitter-tasting alkaloids, Gulf Fritillary caterpillars tolerate these toxins and even sequester them in their bodies.

Gulf Fritillaries seem almost everywhere this time of year, cruising over lawns, golf courses, fields and roadsides, visiting and sipping nectar from flowers.

Fall is the season of Gulf Fritillaries in the Lowcountry. These medium-sized orange butterflies are often confused with Monarchs (Danaus plexippus), but it’s fairly easy to tell the difference ...

The gulf fritillary is one of the more colorfully marked butterfly species that, in the opinion of many naturalists, is one of the most beautiful butterflies in the southwest.

Since gulf fritillary adults were feeding on pinwheel zinnia in the backyard, I placed the pots in the same bed and hoped that the deer would not eat them before the butterflies found them.