Gulf Fritillary Butterfly Visit
The lantana I planted in the yard has been irresistible to the butterflies. I've tried to grab photos of the visitors. Yesterday a Gulf Fritillary passed through and posed for a couple of minutes before heading off to the next stop.
I tried to catch the shimmer in the sun but wasn't able to, but these winged critters don't have white spots. They are actually silver metallic spots. Very catching when it reflects the sunlight. This particular one had a large chunk missing from its right wing that you can see in the next photo.
I wonder if a bird got after it?? The interesting thing is that in its caterpillar state, it feeds just about exclusively on passion flower vegetation. Which I just so happen to have starting to grow. It ought to be interesting to see what happens on the new vine in relation to these butterflies. Have a great day!