This is a pic of a Gulf fritillary from last year or the year before. In order to attract them to our yard, I have several passion flowers growing to act as a larval plant food for them. This butterfly was on one of the butterfly bushes we have.
I've only posted one pic. to cubits so please bear with me if I get it wrong.
Leeflea51

Looking good!

Thank you Sheila_FW, I'm curious as to what butterfly is pictured by your name. It looks familiar but I can't recall it.
I've found what I think is an excellent site about butterflies. It's called BAMONA. It has helped me identify many of the butterflies I've seen. Plus, I sent in the pic. of the Gulf fritillary and they posted it on their site with attribution cited to me. It was nice to have the recognition. Lee

Lee....That is a Painted Lady, aren't they pretty? I like the BAMONA site too. I also use one that is maintained by Dale Clark for the Dallas Co. Lep. Society. http://www.dallasbutterflies.c...
He has a list of host plants by butterflies, by plant names (common and botanical). It is very helpful.

Hey Sheila,
The Painted lady is beautiful. I was just looking up the larval source food and some are the ones we humans like, too: garden bean, garden radish, muskmelon, and American Elm (but with the Dutch Elm disease having wiped out most, I wonder where they are found?). Other larval food plants are the common thistle, western mugwort, Calendula, annual sunflower, garden lettuce, to name but a few.( Information from 'Butterfly Gardening for the South: Cultivating Plants that Attract Butterflies' by Geyata Ajilvsgi. Published: 1990 by Taylor Publishing Co. )
You made me think that I need to go and see how the passiflora are doing. I've several good stands and I do hope the Gulf Fritillaries find them.
Lee---thanks for sharing.

The Gulf Fritillary I found as a cat eclosed and now at least I have a butterfly around!

Great Linda! Caught a few pictures of a lone female oviposting on my 'blue crown' passi the other day. I was super excited, but have yet to get the pics off the camera! We have been busy trying to clean stain our decks in this brutal heat! Up before the sun hits them and then out again afternoon shade (still hot of course). Spend the rest of the time taking nap in the cool recovering.

Yes, we hide in the A/C during the heat of day. It's depressing to see no butterflies these days. Even that one may have left the area now. Maybe the butterflies will be back later on.

Whatever I manage to keep alive this year will be a welcome site to them next year. I have too much sweat equitiy in this yard not to water it as long as I am allowed to. Plus I am giving the much needed substance to a lot of birds that are looking for water at the fish pond and birdbath too.

I don't even KNOW how many containers of water I set out for birds and wildlife...and I put out food also. It's tiring, but I can't NOT do it.

We have Frittilaries here, too, but they aren't the Gulf .... wish I could remember which ones they are. I have a patch of zinnias, coneflowers and coral nymph sage, and they just swarm.

I miss the Gulf Fritillaries. Once in a while, a single one will come along, then it's quickly gone also.Oh, and I just noticed that a volunteer plant I hadn't paid much attention to is blooming...it's a zinnia!

>chuckle<

When I lived in Phoenix, I had a Passiflora caerulea that the G. Frit cats would nearly defoliate (exfoliate? ). You might wanna think about getting one, especially if you have a fence you want to hide.

Yes the'blue crown', P. caerulea is semi-evergreen and is growning leaps and bounds before the G Fs get here.

Here are some of my GF's pictures

Those are some great pictures Sandy!! Try as we might you can never get the sheen they have on the ventral side. Like the egg shot too!

I think I have caught a little of it in this one, you might have to tilt you screen a little to see it. I think it is a matter of what kind of light and the angle it is coming from, going to work on that

Nice close-up! Pretty!

I am going to try to get the sheen, think I know how if I can get the set up right.