A new visitor today to the porch

Backporch watching and butterflies 

 I strongly suspect today's visitor to my backporch is the "Passion" or "Gulf Fritillalry" butterfly.  This little creature, to me, looks slightly similar to both the Monarch and Viceroy Bufferflies. A major difference however are the white dots surrounded by brown on the wings.

"The Gulf fritillary, Agraulis vanillae (Linnaeus), is a brightly colored butterfly common across extreme southern portions of the United States. At home in most open, sunny habitats, it frequents roadsides, disturbed sites, fields, open woodlands, pastures, yards, and parks. It is a regular in most butterfly gardens, including those in more urban settings."  (http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/gulf_fritillary.htm) 

 "The Gulf fritillary is a medium to large butterfly, with a wingspan of 6–9.5 cm (2.4–3.7 in). Its underwings are buff, with large silvery spots.[1] It takes its common name from its migration over the Gulf of Mexico.

"The Gulf fritillary is commonly seen in parks and gardens, as well as in open country. Its range extends from Argentina north through Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean to the southern United States, as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area on the west coast. It is occasionally farther north."  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_fritillary)

Keep smilin'