Cape Coral Butterflies
Monarch butterflies
Male on the left, female on the right. Their host plant is milkweed.
Malachite butterfly
Host plant is green shrimp plant or Mexican petunia
White Peacock butterfly
Host is the green shrimp plant
Queen butterfly (male)
Host plant is milkweed
Pine Vine Swallowtail (male)
Their host plan is the birthwort pipe vine
Zebra Longwing
Zebra Longwing is the Florida state butterfly. Host Plant: Passionvine, and Corky Stem Passionvine
Giant Swallowtail pair
Host plant is citrus such as wild lime
Giant Swallowtail butterfly
Giant Swallowtail
A pair of Giants mating
Julia heliconia
Host plan is passionvine
Julia heliconia
Host plan is passionvine
Orange barred sulfur pair
Their host plant is cassia
Atala butterfly
Host plant is coontie
Atala caterpillars
Munching on coontie
Polydamus
Host plant is Dutchman’s Pipe Vine
Gulf fritillary
Wings open. Host plant is passionvine.
Gulf fritillary
Wings closed. Host plant is passionvine.
Black Swallowtail (female)
Host plants are parsley, dill, fennel
Black Swallowtail (male)
Host plants are parsley, dill, fennel
Zebra longwing caterpillars
hatching from eggs
Zebra longwing
Next to a zebra longwing chrysalis
Visit the Butterfly House
The Tom Allen Memorial Butterfly House is one of Cape Coral's top attractions and a labor of love for many CCFW volunteers.
Interesting Links
- To establish a butterfly garden in your own backyard visit the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) website.
- Monarch Migration Maps
Browse more Cape Coral Wildlife
Burrowing Owl
Cape Coral, Florida: Home to Florida's largest population of Burrowing Owls, charming and tiny, these owls reside in underground burrows.
Gopher Tortoise
The Gopher Tortoise is a native, keystone species that is listed as threatened due to severe habitat loss.
Bald Eagle
The American Bald Eagle is protected by both federal and local laws. Their nests are typically found in old growth pine tree stands.
Florida Scrub Jay
The Scrub Jay is endemic to Florida, meaning it is not found anywhere else in the wild. It is another species under grave threat due to severe habitat loss.
Purple Martin
The Purple Martin is a migratory bird species that stops in Southwest Florida each year. CCFW volunteers have provided important habitat and monitoring.
Cats
Domestic and feral cats are not wildlife, but outdoor cats can have a terrible impact, often hunting and killing other species we care about.
Manatee
The lovable, docile manatee can be spotted relatively easily in the warm waters around Southwest Florida and Cape Coral.
Alligators
Alligators can be dangerous and should be treated with respect, but there have been no fatal encounters in Cape Coral's history.
Birds of Cape Coral
Learn more about the many species of birds that can be spotted in Cape Coral and how to identify some of them.
Brown/Green Anole
What the heck are all these lizards running around? Learn to identify the most common anoles and geckos.
Coyotes
As in many parts of the country, coyotes are extending their range into urban areas as they are driven out of their native habitats.
Bees
Bees and their pollination work are widely viewed as one the most critical building blocks in every ecosystem.