Astonishing to watch, this kaleidoscope of butterflies, too small to be Monarchs, but equally as beautiful, dining and dancing with abandon on my garden flowers this month. Winged wonders, named Gulf Fritillaries, rapidly flap their orange and black wings showing off a dazzling display of silvery-white spots on their undersides, as they cavort among my common but colorful zinnias. When I tend to these crimson, fuschia, and gold blooms disturbing the butterflies, they do not scatter but just flutter about and find another blossom to perch on. They don’t seem to perceive me as threatening and I find their presence companionable.
I discovered that Gulf Fritillaries are abundant along the Georgia Coast from August through October. So while I see their appearance in my garden as extraordinary it is apparently quite ordinary in this habitat. They generally spend frost free winters in Peninsular Florida and areas of Mexico but will return to Georgia when winter passes. They, like so many other passing pleasures of fall, are only here for a short time. I’ve enjoyed watching them this season and plan to entice these transient visitors back into my garden next year by planting an abundance of zinnias. If my scheme is successful, they will enjoy another sweet, fleeting, floral banquet and I will savor another unforgettable visual feast.
