Florida's Butterflies: Types of Butterflies in Florida

Butterflies are truly magnificent, majestic creatures of flight, and the different types of butterflies in Florida are no exception to the rule. I've lived in Florida for almost seven years and have seen some of the most beautiful butterflies here in Florida than I've ever seen elsewhere. Florida's butterflies are of a wide variety, but all delicate and gorgeous in their own unique ways. In this hub, we will take an exciting look at some of the different types of butterflies in Florida.

The Florida Zebra Longwing is the official butterfly of the state of Florida and has been since 1996. It is a butterfly that looks like a Zebra in disguise; the major color of the Zebra Longwing is black, but it boasts beautiful white stripes throughout. The Zebra Longwing is only one of many types of butterflies in Florida but admittedly is my favorite Florida butterfly.

These butterflies are not only found in Florida but all over the Southeastern United States and on the islands in the Caribbean. If you come across a Zebra Longwing in its caterpillar form, you may be quite surprised! They are spikey, and almost aggressive looking...sort of a total opposite of their appearance once they've morphed into the beautiful Zebra Longwing.

The pipevine swallowtail butterfly that can be found in the state of Florida is by far one of the prettiest butterflies in the state. To me, the pipevine swallowtail butterfly's wing patterns look like a work of art.

This butterfly can be found all across the United States and also in Central America. The pipevine swallowtail butterfly feeds off of a wide range of flowers including bergamot, thistles, azaleas, and many others.

You would think that this Florida butterfly would be easy to spot with its vibrant blue, orange, and white spots; however, there are other types of swallowtail butterflies that mimic the pipevine swallowtail's pattern.

The Gulf Fritillary is one of the most beautiful and bright Florida butterflies with its brilliant orange hues. Very similar looking to a monarch in some ways, the Gulf Fritillary is mainly orange with some black spots and patterning on its wings and underside.

Florida's butterfly, the Gulf Fritillary, can also be seen in other Southern states in the US, Central America, and South America. Though they can be found in other places besides Florida, when Florida locals and tourists happen to catch a glimpse of the magical Gulf Fritillary butterfly, they feel as though its special only to the state of Florida.

The Gulf Fritillary is one of many of Florida's butterflies that can be found in pastures, gardens, subtropic climates such as swampy forest edges, and more.

The last of my picks for Florida butterflies is the quiet beauty, the Phaon Crescent butterfly. Underrated, yet quintessentially Florida's prettiest butterfly (in my opinion, by the way), the Phaon Crescent butterfly bares the most intricate wing patterns of all of Florida's butterflies. The Phaon Crescent's wing patterns look as though they could be used for miniature stained-glass windows or perfectly-pieced mosaics.

If you are in Florida and come across this Florida butterfly, you'll want to try your best to get a picture of the Phaon Crescent.