Finally, a complete selection of photos of the entire life cycle of the Gulf Fritillary. The Gulf Fritillary butterfly is a striking, bright orange butterfly of the family Nymphalidae, subfamily Heliconiinae. Its range extends from Argentina through Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean to the southern United States, as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area on the west coast.The larva or caterpillar of the Gulf Fritillary grows to approximately 4 cm (1.6 in) in length and is bright orange in color and covered in rows of black spines on its head and back. The spines are soft to the touch and do not sting; however, the larvae are poisonous if eaten which provides excellent protection from predators. The larvae feed exclusively on species of passion flower such as Maypop (Passiflora incarnata), Yellow Passionflower (P. lutea) and Running Pop (P. foetida). The chrysalis is approximately 3 cm (1.2 in) long; it is mottled brown and looks like a dry leaf. (From Wikipedia)