Common Butterflies of Central Florida
Butterfly photos by Jaret Daniels
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Cloudless sulphur (Phoebis sennae):
One of the most common butterflies in Florida, the cloudless sulpher
is attracted to red flowers such as pentas or tropical sage for nectar. |
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Monarch (Danaus
plexippus):
Journeying thousands of miles to reach their winter resting place
in Mexico, the monarch butterfly is abundant in Florida during the
spring and fall. |
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Spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus):
The spicebush swallowtail butterfly is one of several different butterfly
species that have coloration and markings similar to the nasty tasting
pipevine swallowtail. Nature often uses mimicry to confuse predators. |
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Pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor):
The caterpillars of this species feed on pipevines (Aristolochia spp.).
Chemicals from these plants become concentrated in the bodies of caterpillars
and butterflies and make them distasteful to birds and other predators. |
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Giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes):
The giant swallowtail is aptly named for its 5 inch plus wingspan.
The powdery yellow color that marks the undersides of its wings and
its large size, makes this butterfly easy to recognize even from far
away. They feed on members of the citrus family. |
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Gulf fritillary (Agraulis
vanillas):
Fast flyers, these orange and silver butterflies have adapted very
well to urban life. Visiting gardens year-round, the female places
her eggs on passionvine species. |
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Longtailed skipper (Urbanus proteus):
Skippers have large, hairy bodies and much smaller wings than members
of other butterfly families. The longtailed skipper is easy to recognize
by its long tails and shimmering blue-green color on its back and
wings. Their host plants include, wisteria, butterfly pea and garden
beans. |
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Zebra longwing (Heliconius
charitonius):
Florida's state butterfly, these narrow-winged yellow-striped butterflies
are present throughout the year in Florida. |
