Species Dryas julia - Julia

Julia Heliconian

average wingspan 85 mm

Adult: dorsal male bright orange with two black spots on each forewing; female orange with black stripes on each forewing; ventral surface pale orange/brown with smudge marks; no white spots as in Gulf Fritillary

southern Florida, southern Texas, south to Argentina

subtropical woodlands and adjacent open or disturbed areas with nectar sources

all year with multiple broods

passionflower (Passiflora spp.)

Females oviposit on new growth passionflowers, and larvae eat the leaves. Larvae follow process of multiple instar stages, to pupae, to adult butterflies.

Adults are not pollen feeders like the closely related Zebra Longwing. Thus they are palatable to predators, and have an adult lifespan of several weeks, as opposed to the Zebra Longwing, which lives up to six months. Flight is faster and more direct than Zebra Longwing. Feeds in a "trapline", visiting a series of chosen nectaring sites.

Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) wings have dorsal and ventral white spots, lacking in Julia

(1) (2) (3)

NABA.org