View allAll Photos Tagged ZebraLongwingButterfly
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File Name: NZ6_0441
Photographed the Zebra Longwing butterfly off of the trail in the Marshall Hampton Reserve located in Winter Haven in Polk County Florida U.S.A.
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File Name: NZ6_0454
Florida's "State Butterfly" is this Zebra Longwing.
With its proboscis at the ready, it landed at the tip of a plant stalk that was being "strangled" by some vining plant, witnessed by this tendril waving in the breeze. Apparently not finding much to eat, the longwing butterfly left quickly. There may have been "slim pickings" since there were very few flowering plants in this area of Loxahatchee NWR, Florida.
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File Name: NZ6_0450
Photographed the Zebra Longwing Butterfly at the Discovery Center area in the Circle B Bar Reserve located in the City of Lakeland in Polk County Florida U.S.A.
Next to the Butterfly Glasshouse open to the public the Hortus has another one that's used as a 'private' nursery for the former. In the Butterfly House there are lots of Dryas iulia, Julia Heliconian Butterfly, and Zebra Longwings, Heliconius charithonia. It is said they especially favor Passiflora biflora, possibly as much as they do the Dwarf, Yellow Passionflower. It's grown in that 'private' Glasshouse and here's a photo of a flower. By the looks of it, it's not only Butterflies that have a passion for this Biflora, also Ants. But in his Historia plantarum rariorum (1728-1738) John Martyn (1699-1768) reports that dr William Houstoun (c.1695-1733), who collected plants in the Americas and sent seeds to him, says that its flowers have no aroma and their roots hardly any taste.
Thank you to 'Passiflorae' - see comment below - for correcting me.
The zebra longwing butterfly begins mating right after it emerges from its chrysalis. The female lays five to fifteen eggs on the leaves of passion flower vines. The caterpillar has a white body with long black spines and a yellow head. If weather conditions are right, the zebra longwing butterfly can go from egg to butterfly in a little over three weeks.
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File Name: NZ6_8609
on this beautiful Zebra Longwing. Of all the shots of taken of these beauties, I don't remember ever seeing these eyes before! How cool are these great bugs! On Florida native Firebush in God's gdarden.
Photographed the Zebra Longwing Butterfly (Heliconius charithonia) feeding on the nectar from the flowers of the Spanish Needle plant found in the Circle Bar Reserve in the City of Lakeland Polk County Florida U.S.A.
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Heliconius charithonia, the zebra longwing or zebra heliconian, is a species of butterfly belonging to the subfamily Heliconiinae of the family Nymphalidae.The boldly striped black and white wing pattern is aposematic, warning off predators.
The species is distributed across South and Central America and as far north as southern Texas and peninsular Florida; there are migrations north into other American states in the warmer months.
Zebra longwing adults roost communally at night in groups of up to 60 adults for safety from predators. The adult butterflies are unusual in feeding on pollen as well as on nectar; the pollen enables them to synthesize cyanogenic glycosides that make their bodies toxic to potential predators. Caterpillars feed on various species of passionflower, evading the plants' defensive trichomes by biting them off or laying silk mats over them.
Mass spraying of Naled has decimated the zebra longwing population in Miami-Dade County, Florida. There has been mass collapse of the colonies with impacts on the balance of the ecosystem. Further studies are desperately needed to evaluate any potential for recolonization.
Zebra Longwing butterfly, from Butterfly Pavilion Natural History Museum. Los Angeles. California.
Zebra Longwing Butterfly.
Did you know that the butterflies sample and taste the flower nectar with their feet while their long tongue's role is simply to extract the nectar? Mother Nature is full of mysteries.
This beautiful Zebra Longwing was out front ... but too fast for me. This is an odd shot, but I kinda' liked it.
God's garden in the back is FULL of these beauties. I've let my Passion Vines grow out of control (those are their host plants). The native Firebush is in full bloom (so there is plenty of food back there). It's extraordinary to look out at them all. They have this feathery, gentle wing flapping in their flight ... it's quite incredible. I ought to take a video...
Florida state butterflies are blessing my backyard.
The state butterfly for Florida! Out front pigging out on the pollen offered by the Florida native Porterweed. He's got a snout full!
The Zebra Longwing Butterfly (Heliconius charitonius) was designated the official state butterfly of Florida in 1996. This butterfly is found throughout Florida in hardwood hammocks, thickets, gardens, and particularly in the Everglades National Park.
It is characterized by long black wings with distinctive thin stripes and a slow, graceful flight. It makes a creaking sound when alarmed. Zebra longwings feed on nectar and pollen. They are the only butterflies known to eat pollen, which is probably why they have a long lifespan (about six months, as compared to a more usual one month for other butterfly species).
The Zebra Longwing butterfly lays its eggs on passion vine leaves. Passion vines contain toxins that are consumed by the caterpillars, which make the adult butterflies poisonous to predators.
I unfortunately have THREE Passion vines out back in God's garden!
Here it is feeding on a Florida native Firebush. The beautiful vine framing the left side shot is a volunteer Morning glory. It was here when I bought the place and keeps reseeding and coming back year after year. I'm quite fond of it for some reason ... seems like it's at home in God's garden!
Left side underneath view. Right side topside view.
I took a Butterfly Photography class sponsored by Desert Botanical Garden and taught by Joanne West. I learned a lot and practiced a lot. I really feel that I had improved significantly by the end of the class.
We had a classroom presentation followed by private hands-on practice in the Butterfly Pavilion.
I believe this is a Zebra longwing butterfly. Any corrections will be appreciated. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliconius_charithonia
Heliconius charithonia, the zebra longwing or zebra heliconian, is a species of butterfly belonging to the subfamily Heliconiinae of the family Nymphalidae.[2][3] It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1767 12th edition of Systema Naturae. The boldly striped black and white wing pattern is aposematic, warning off predators. It is the state butterfly of Florida.
The caterpillars are white with black spots and have numerous black spikes along their body. Adult butterflies are monomorphic of medium size with long wings. On the dorsal side, the wings are black with narrow white and yellow stripes, with a similar pattern on the ventral side, but paler and with red spots. The wingspan ranges from 72 to 100 mm.[5]
Desert Botanical Garden has an incredible collection of plants and cacti arranged in a beautiful park setting.
dbg.org/visit/butterfly-pavilion/
"Think the desert is all dirt and tumbleweeds? Think again. Desert Botanical Garden is home to thousands of species of cactus, trees and flowers from all around the world spread across 55 acres in Phoenix, Arizona."
Desert Botanical Garden
DBG Butterfly class
The zebra longwing butterfly or zebra heliconian, Heliconius charithonia, is unmistakable with its long narrow wings, which are striped black and pale yellow.
The State of Florida butterfly since 1996.
The boldly striped black and white wing pattern is aposematic, warning off predators. And it’s the state butterfly of Florida.
The wingspan ranges from 72 to 100 mm.
The zebra longwing butterfly (*Heliconius charithonia*) is native to the Americas and is especially common in the southeastern United States, Central America, and parts of South America. It thrives in warm, humid environments like subtropical forests, gardens, and hammocks.
Historically, this butterfly has fascinated naturalists for centuries due to its striking black-and-yellow striped wings and unique behaviors. It was first described in the 18th century and is notable for its unusually long lifespan compared to other butterflies—thanks to its ability to feed not just on nectar but also on pollen, which gives it extra nutrients and longevity. The zebra longwing is also Florida's official state butterfly and is admired for its slow, graceful flight and social roosting habits.