This piece belongs to a series I have been working on about host plants and the insects that depend on them. Gulf Fritillaries are a pretty orange and white butterfly. The outside of their wings have a wonderful pattern and the inside is orange and brown. Their caterpillars eat passionflower leaves exclusively. If the plant did not exist in the wild, than there would be no butterflies.
As the caterpillars eat the passionflower they ingest toxins that they store in their bodies, making themselves toxic to birds or reptiles who may and try eating them. The orange color of the caterpillars and adults is a warning symbol to other animals that they are toxic.
image size: 19" x 27"
edition: 11
title: Don't Eat Me, I'm Orange