Zebra Heliconian
Heliconius charithonia (Linnaeus, 1767)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
Identification: Wings long and narrow; black with narrow yellow stripes.
Wing Span: 2 3/4 - 4 inches (7 - 10.1 cm).
Life History: Males patrol for females, and are also attracted to female chrysalids. A male will wait on the chrysalis and mate with the female as she is about to emerge. He then deposits on her abdomen a chemical than repels other males. Eggs are laid in groups of 5-15 on leaf buds or leaves of the host plant; caterpillars feed at night on leaves. Adults roost communally in groups of 25-30 individuals.
Flight: All year in South Texas and southern Florida, wanders north during warmer months.
Caterpillar Hosts: Passion-vines including Passiflora suberosa, P. lutea, and P. affinis.
Adult Food: Flower nectar and pollen, which are gathered on a set foraging route or "trap-line". Favorite plants include lantana and shepherd's needle.
Habitat: Tropical hammocks, moist forests, edges, fields.
Range: South America north through Central America, West Indies, and Mexico to South Texas and peninsular Florida. Occasional immigrant north to New Mexico, Nebraska, and South Carolina.
Conservation: Not usually required, but habitat for permanent populations is limited in South Texas.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Maintain habitat and host plant colonies.
Taxonomy Notes: Also called the Zebra Longwing.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Heliconius charithonius
Heliconius charitonius
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 577 - 600 of 896 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 22, 2013
Submitted by: stomlins701
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 02, 2013
Observation date: Aug 31, 2013
Submitted by: Nancee Cobb
Region: Bay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 31, 2013
Observation date: Aug 25, 2013
Submitted by: hurricanepete2002
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 31, 2013
Observation date: Aug 30, 2013
Submitted by: dagasch
Region: Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 31, 2013
Observation date: Aug 17, 2013
Submitted by: Nancee Cobb
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 18, 2013
Observation date: Aug 05, 2013
Submitted by: michaeloberg
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 17, 2013
Observation date: Dec 02, 2003
Submitted by: Dave Patton
Region: Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 15, 2013
Observation date: Aug 13, 2013
Submitted by: Lois Stacey
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 14, 2013
Observation date: Aug 04, 2013
Submitted by: lwojo
Region: Alachua County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 11, 2013
Observation date: Jul 17, 2013
Submitted by: stomlins701
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 30, 2013
Observation date: Jul 27, 2013
Submitted by: Bob Nieman
Region: Eddy County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 30, 2013
Observation date: Jun 24, 2013
Submitted by: Nancee Cobb
Region: Alachua County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 07, 2013
Observation date: Jun 17, 2013
Submitted by: jomarlin
Region: Martin County, Florida, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jul 04, 2013
Observation date: Jun 17, 2013
Submitted by: LMurrell
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 25, 2013
Observation date: Jun 21, 2013
Submitted by: LMurrell
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 25, 2013
Observation date: Nov 26, 2012
Submitted by: thorsell
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: John van Dort
Verified date: May 01, 2013
Observation date: Feb 03, 2013
Submitted by: LLJohnson
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: Apr 19, 2013
Observation date: Jan 20, 2013
Submitted by: Naseem Reza
Region: Volusia County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 17, 2013
Observation date: Mar 05, 2013
Submitted by: mrcnaturally
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 27, 2013
Observation date: Feb 25, 2013
Submitted by: jjflossem
Region: Hernando County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 09, 2013
Observation date: Mar 03, 2013
Submitted by: Mensore
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 04, 2013
Observation date: Jan 22, 2013
Submitted by: suedavies28
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 11, 2013
Observation date: Oct 02, 2010
Submitted by: Doug Taron
Region: Veracruz-Llave, Mexico
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: Jan 27, 2013
Observation date: Nov 17, 2012
Submitted by: jjflossem
Region: Hernando County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 07, 2012
- ‹ previous
- 25 of 38
- next ›