Butterflies of Central Florida

🌼 Common Butterflies of Central Florida: A Friendly Guide for Local Nature Lovers

By Linda Smock, Master Gardener

If you’ve spent any time in a central Florida garden, park, or even your own backyard, you’ve likely shared the space with some beautiful butterflies. They sip nectar from flowers, glide over sunny lawns, and sometimes surprise us by landing close enough for a photo. But how well do we really know the butterflies we see every day?

This blog post highlights some of the most common butterfly visitors in central Florida. These species are easy to spot, fun to learn about, and—best of all—many can be attracted right into your own landscape.

🧡 Monarchs and Their “Look-Alike” Friends

The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is the butterfly celebrity of North America. Known for its long migration and bright orange wings, the monarch depends on milkweed plants as the sole food source for its caterpillars.

But the monarch isn’t alone—two other butterflies share its distinctive coloration:

• Queen (Danaus gilippus)

• Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

All three species use similar colors and patterns for protection, signaling to predators that they taste terrible. Monarchs and Queens get their bad taste from milkweed toxins; Viceroys gain their own defense from the leaves of the Carolina willow (Salix caroliniana). These shared warning signals make each species safer from predators—a clever survival strategy.

🤍 The Charming White Peacock

One of the butterflies you are most likely to encounter in Pinellas is the White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae). These white butterflies, delicately marked with tan and brown patterns, flutter low to the ground in fields, open parks, roadsides, and even lawns that allow a few wildflowers to grow.

Their caterpillars feed on plants such as green shrimp plant (Ruellia blechum) and wild petunias. Adults aren’t picky—they’ll happily sip nectar from small flowering weeds, making them fun and frequent visitors.

🟡 Florida’s State Butterfly: The Zebra Longwing

Elegant and unmistakable, the Zebra Longwing is adorned with long, narrow wings striped in yellow and black. It holds a special place in Florida—it’s our official state butterfly.

Zebra Longwings do something rather unusual for butterflies:They sleep in groups.At night, they gather—sometimes 50 or more—to rest quietly on branches.

They lay their eggs on passion vines, especially the native corky-stem passion vine (Passiflora suberosa), which often grows right within neighborhood shrub beds.

🧡✨ The Gulf Fritillary: A Flash of Orange

The Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) is one of the true joys of Florida gardens. With vibrant orange wings above and shiny silver spots below, they’re hard to miss.

Like the Zebra Longwing, their caterpillars rely on passion vines. These hungry caterpillars can devour a vine quickly, but that’s part of the fun of creating a butterfly-friendly garden—every nibble means more butterflies on the way!

🦋 The Swallowtails of Pinellas: Big, Bold, and Beautiful

Several species of Swallowtails live and thrive in our area. They are easy to recognize by the “tails” extending from their hind wings and their striking patterns.

Here are a few familiar guests:

Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Caterpillars love herbs—especially parsley, dill, fennel, and sometimes carrots. Plant extra if you want to host them!

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)

Attracted to Dutchman’s pipevine. The caterpillars may look touchable, but they can produce a strong odor when disturbed—so best to observe and let them be.

Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)

Florida’s largest butterfly! Their caterpillars, affectionately called “orange dogs,” look like bird droppings for camouflage. They feed on citrus and wild lime and eventually transform into breathtaking yellow-and-black adults.

💛 Whites and Sulfurs: Sunshine on the Wing

Whites and Sulfurs are small, energetic butterflies often seen fluttering along roadsides or visiting flower beds.

Some you may know:

Cabbage White (Pontia protodice)

Often found near vegetable gardens featuring cabbage, broccoli, mustard, or collards.

Orange-Barred Sulfur & Large Orange Sulfur (Phoebis philea and Ph. agarithe)

These warm-toned butterflies are especially attracted to cassia (Senna) plants, which grow in many natural and suburban areas of Pinellas.

During fall migration, look for the vibrant Cloudless Sulfur (Phoebis sennae) drifting through neighborhoods in search of blooms.

🌺 How to Bring More Butterflies Into Your Backyard

To turn your yard into a butterfly paradise, include:

🌼 Nectar plants

These feed adult butterflies.Examples: pentas, lantana, Spanish needle, tropical sage.

🌿 Host plants

These feed the caterpillars. Without them, butterflies cannot complete their life cycle.Examples: milkweed, passion vine, parsley/dill/fennel, cassia, pipevine, and citrus relatives.

UF/IFAS Extension offers excellent guides. Searching “IFAS Butterfly Gardens” is a great way to start planning a garden that supports butterflies year-round.

🦋 Final Thoughts

Butterflies are more than just beautiful—they’re a sign of a healthy, welcoming environment. With a few thoughtful choices, you can enjoy these “floating flowers” every day, right in your own backyard.