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Project Noah Nature School
Agraulis vanillae
Upperside bright orange with black markings; 3 black-encircled white dots on forewing leading edge. Underside brown; forewing with orange at base; both wings with elongated, iridescent silver spots. Wing Span: 2 1/2 - 3 3/4 inches (6.3 - 9.5 cm).
Flowers growing near beach.
The Gulf Fritillary is not native to Hawaii. It is found in North America, Central America and South America, and its range has increased with the cultivation of its food plant, the Passionflowers in the genus Passiflora. Plants from this genus are problematic in Hawaii where they are not native and they easily naturalize because of the climate. The Gulf Fritillary was introduced to Hawaii along with the introduction of the plants.
Spotted on Oct 14, 2014
Submitted on Nov 16, 2014
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