Butterfly: Wingspan: 1½ - 1¾ inches (3.9- 4.5cm) UPPER SURFACE (dorsal) Male: bright orange; two dark spots on forewing Female: tannish orange;black slash on forewing. Thin black borders. UNDER SURFACE (ventral) Male: Bright orange; indistinct mottinling and smudges. Female: same but tannish orange. Forewings very elongated.
Egg: Golden yellow. Ribbed. Bullet shaped.
Caterpillar: The body is long and slender with white spots or lines that run along the side of a black background. There are rows of long, black, branched spines. Head orange or reddish-orange; large black, eye-like patches; two long horns on top.
Chrysalis: Grayish-brown, often with white mottling or splotches. Head and wing case area clearly visible. Hangs from a cremaster. Resembles a furled, dead leaf.
A dot on the county map indicates that there is at least one documented record of the species within that county. In some cases, a species may be common throughout the county, in others it may be found in only a specific habitat. The High Count information shows the highest numbers recorded for this species as well as when and where they occurred.
The sightings bar graphs depict the timing of flight(s) within each of three geographic regions. Place your cursor on a bar within the graph to see the number of individuals recorded during that period.
The abundance calendar displays the total number of individuals recorded within each week of the month. Both the graphs and the calendar are on based data collection that began in 2000.
The records analyzed here are only a beginning. As more data is collected, these maps and graphs will paint a more accurate picture of distribution and abundance in Alabama. Submit your sightings to albutterflyatlas@gmail.com.
Sightings in the following counties: Baldwin, Madison
High count(s):
View county names by moving the mouse over a county or view a map with county names
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In Florida, subtropical hammocks, thickets, and disturbed area.
Passionflowers (Passiflora spp.) are Julia Heliconian's sole caterpillar food. No host has been dcumented in Alabama.
Click on individual photos to view a larger version that includes photo credits, county, and date.
Photos with comments are indicated by a small, tan dot on the bottom right.