Field and Swamp: Animals and Their Habitats

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Heliconians and Fritillaries (subfamily Heliconiinae, family Nymphalidae)

These butterflies are literally over the place. Members of the Heliconius genus are generally only found in the tropics, although, probably thanks to the Butterfly House of Durham's Museum of Life and Science, we see Zebra Heliconians (formerly known as Zebra Longwings) around Durham. Although they can't survive Durham's frequent hard freezes, they are a part of the outdoor scenery around here, so you'll see one on this page.

Fritillaries are another matter. The "true" fritillaries, genus Speyeria, are at home in colder climates. It's unusual to see the Aphrodite Fritillary farther south than the North Carolina mountains. The southern Variegated Fritillary and subtropical Gulf Fritillary are not in Speyeria: They used to be classified as "longwings" under the old English name conventions, as was the Zebra Heliconian (once known as the Zebra Longwing). But now they're not considered to be in the same group after all. None of these former "longwings" are related especially directly to the Ocola Skippers, which used to be known as the "longwing skippers." Are you still with me?

"True" Fritillaries (genus Speyeria), also known as the "Greater" Fritillaries


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele), Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, Wake County, NC, 6/6/02. As was the case with the Aphrodite on the right, this butterfly was on the southern edge of its normal range.	Great Spangled Fritillary, Duke Gardens, Durham, NC, 9/11/06	Same Great Spangled Fritillary, Duke Gardens, Durham, NC, 9/11/06	Great Spangled Fritillary, Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, Orange County, NC, 5/20/06	Great Spangled Fritillary, ventral view of butterfly on left.


Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite), Siler's Bald, Appalachian Trail, Macon County, NC, 8/18/04. This butterfly made its appearance at an elevation of about 5000 feet (give or take 100 feet)	Aphrodite Fritillary, Boone, Watauga County, 8/31/05.

Meadow Fritillary (Beloria bellona)

Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona), Moses Cone Memorial Park, Watauga County, NC, 8/8/06

Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)

It's hard to winnow out pictures of all those dozens of Gulf Fritillaries that you inevitably start seeing as you enter the subtropics, at least east of the Mississippi River. In Buccaneer State Park, which borders the Gulf of Mexico in Mississippi, I counted ten GFs on one bush at a time. Down this far south, they're the dominant butterfly species, even far outnumbering the widespread Cloudless Sulfurs.


Airlie Gardens, Wilmington, New Hanover County, NC, 8/28/03.	Carolina Beach, New Hanover County, NC, 9/29/04.	Bay St. Louis, Hancock County, MS, 10/24/02. The difference in forewing shape from that of the NC butterflies on the left illustrates possible regional variation.	Buccaneer State Park, Waveland, MS, 10/11/04. Waveland borders Bay St. Louis on the east.	Bay St. Louis, Hancock County, MS, 9/3/03. Here's a real survivor taking in minerals from the mud.	Carolina Beach, 9/29/04.	Fort Fisher, 9/30/04.

Carolina Beach, 10/19/05

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)

There are apparently some slight regional differences in the appearance of this butterfly.


Durham, NC, 10/3/02. Very narrow forewings.	Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, Wake County, NC, 11/5/03.	Tyrrell County, near Albemarle Sound, NC, 9/24/04. At the other extreme, very wide wings.	Duke Gardens, Durham, 7/24/05.


Raulston Arboretum, Wake County, NC, 9/23/05	Duke Forest, Gate 12, Durham, NC, 9/29/05	Variegated Fritillary, Duke Gardens, Durham County, NC, 3/9/06. This was an unusually small, pale VF, and its left forewing seems damaged.


Variegated Fritillary. Ventral view, Raulston Arboretum, Wake County, 9/23/05	Variegated Fritillary, Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, NC, 6/9/06	Variegated Fritillary, Eno River State Park, Durham County, NC, 4/28/06

Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonius)

Across the street from the East Campus of Duke University, Durham, NC, 10/4/04. This Zebra probably escaped from a hothouse environment, i.e., the Butterfly House at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham.