Butterfly Pictures

**Padfoot** · 02-15-2005, 01:56 PM

Hello!

A couple of weeks ago, I left a small carrier out drying after hosing it. When I went to pick it up the next day I found that a caterpillar had decided to make it's crisalis on the lid. I put the lid on the carrier and left it there. It has been pretty cool to even watch the crisalis, cause it moved toward the sun every day (and at night was straight vertical). This morning, while I was having breakfast, I noticed that the crisalis was "hatching". I watched it, took a couple of pictures and then went to my class. I had only one class, so I arrived home an hour after. I took a couple more pictures, now that the buttefly was fully open and flying around, ad then let it go. I thought you might enjoy the butterfly pictures, so here they are: (Hey, Matt, if you are around here, can you identify it? I know you love to do that... )

**kenman1963** · 02-15-2005, 02:31 PM

That's so cool !!!

**venus** · 02-15-2005, 02:58 PM

That is so awesome. Thanks for sharing.

**Padfoot** · 02-15-2005, 05:10 PM

Thanks, I'm glad you liked them. 8)

**furryscaly** · 02-15-2005, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by Padfoot

(Hey, Matt, if you are around here, can you identify it? I know you love to do that... )

lol, you bet I do

Fortunately, entomology is another hobby of mine. Your butterfly is definately a fritillary of some kind. I'd say its a gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae). In the U.S. they live in the south near the gulf of Mexico, and live in florida too. Puerto Rico's not that far away, so I wouldn't be surprised if you can find gulf fritillaries there too. However, yours is lacking 3 little white spots that should have been located in those black "shoulder" spots on his wings. This doesn't mean he can't be a gulf fritillary though, but if he's not, he's definately a very close relative.

**Padfoot** · 02-15-2005, 06:43 PM

8) I know you would know! LOL... in the other forum, a girl guessed it too. 8) She gave the scientific name, which I don't remember, but she said "mexican fritillary" hehehe... I copied this same post in the other forums I am and in 1 of them you are not a member and I forgot to take out your name... anyway, they want to know what it is, so I'll copy/paste your response there. 8)

**furryscaly** · 02-15-2005, 06:52 PM

Mexican fritillaries (Euptioeta hegesia) are close, but yours has too much reddish color to be a normal looking mexi. The pattern is slightly off too.
Here's a mexican fritillary (Euptioeta hegesia)
http://www.neotropicalbutterflies.co...t%20D%20RL.jpg

and here's a gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
http://entweb.clemson.edu/museum/but...ocal/bfly4.jpg

Pay close attention to the bottom rim of the lower pair of wings too.

Gulf fritillaries also have some subspecies, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's one specific to Page Ranking. With that bright orange yours displays it would be a male. The females are more brown.