Agraulis vanillae (Gulf Fritillary, Vanillefalter)

Agraulis vanillae, also called Gulf Fritillary or Vanillefalter is a butterfly from Neotropic ecozone (South America). The first description was in 1758 by Linnaeus. The wingspan is about 6.5 – 7.5 cm. This butterfly is a member of the family NYMPHALIDAE. Agraulis vanillae is orange. It has black spots. On the underside there are many silvery spots.
Photos for easy identification
Here you can see some photos of Agraulis vanillae (Gulf Fritillary, Vanillefalter). Agraulis vanillae is a member of the family NYMPHALIDAE from Neotropic (South America).
Description
The fore wings are orange. The veins are partly black. In the middle of wing there are some black spots. It is possible that these points merge. At the wing leading edge there is a black spot with a white core.
The underside of Agraulis vanillae is multicolour. The inner half of the wing is orange. The outer half of the wing is brown. Between this areas there is a beige band. At the wing tip there are some silvery spots. In the middle of the wing there are some black spots. At the wing leading edge there are some black spots with white core.
The hind wings of Agraulis vanillae are orange. The outer edge is black and contains a chain of orange spots. Black spots can be present In the middle of the wing.
The underside is brown or beige. There are many silvery spots on the wing. One of these silvery spots looks like an eye.
The body is brown, but the underside is white.
Sex differences: None.
Distribution
Agraulis vanillae (Gulf Fritillary) is a butterfly from the Neotropic (South America). This butterfly can be found in the entire Neotropic.
![]() |
Larval food
Caprifoliaceae:
- Lonicera caprifolium
- Lonicera japonica halliana
- Lonicera semenovii
Passifloraceae:
- Passiflora affinis
- Passiflora alata
- Passiflora auriculata
- Passiflora bahiensis
- Passiflora caerulea
- Passiflora capsularis
- Passiflora cincinnata
- Passiflora clathrata
- Passiflora edulis
- Passiflora suberosa
- ...
General information
The first description of this butterfly was in 1758 by Linnaeus. There are some subspecies.
- Agraulis vanillae forbesi [Michener, 1942]
- Agraulis vanillae galapagensis [Holland, 1889]
- Agraulis vanillae incarnata [Riley, 1926]
- Agraulis vanillae insularis [Maynard, 1889]
- Agraulis vanillae lucina [C. & R. Felder, 1862]
- Agraulis vanillae maculosa [Stichel, 1907]
- Agraulis vanillae nigrior [Michener, 1942]
Agraulis vanillae is a migrant butterfly. You can see it in gardens or at roadsides.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Here you can see some other photos of Agraulis vanillae.
Protection provisions / Red List
- CITES: (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora):
-no entry- (as at 23.06.2005) - EU regulation on trading with species of wild Fauna and Flora
-no entry- (as at 19.08.2005) - IUCN Red List of threatened species:
-no entry- (as at 2004) (see: www.redlist.org/)
Similar and closely-related species
Dione glycera C. & R. Felder 1861
Dione juno Cramer 1779
Dione moneta Hübner 1825
Scientific name
Agraulis vanillae Linnaeus 1758
Other names
Gulf Fritillary, Galapagos Fritillary
Vanillefalter
Classification / Taxonomy / Family tree
- Kingdom: ANIMALIA
- Phylum: ARTHROPODA
- Class: INSECTA
- Order: LEPIDOPTERA
- Suborder: DITRYSIA
- Superfamily: PAPILIONOIDEA
- Family: NYMPHALIDAE
- Subfamily: HELICONIINAE
- Tribe: HELICONIINI
- Genus: AGRAULIS
- Specific name: VANILLAE