Backyard gardens, roadsides, parks, and even landscaped shopping plazas are prime places to find them. This is especially true in the fall when scores of monarchs are migrating through the area on their way to Mexico and local gulf fritillary populations have reached abundant levels. Here are a few simple hints to help tell the two apart. Monarchs are considerably larger with a wingspan of up to 4 inches or more. Gulf fritillaries rarely exceed 3 inches.
Gulf fritillaries feed with their wings open.
The wings of gulf fritillaries are noticeably narrow and elongated. Gulf fritillaries have several large silver, mercury-like patches on the undersurface of their hindwings. The chrysalis is emerald green. Gulf fritillary larvae are bright orange with numerous black spines. The chrysalis is brown.