National Moth Week is July 18-26!
Moths are amazing creatures. Take photographs and share your moth sightings with us to document the moths where you live.
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 433 - 456 of 892 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 20, 2017
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 22, 2017
Observation date: Jun 18, 2016
Submitted by: JohnBoback
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Feb 27, 2017
Observation date: Mar 20, 2010
Submitted by: LibbyMegna
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 23, 2017
Observation date: Feb 16, 2017
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 17, 2017
Observation date: Feb 14, 2017
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 15, 2017
Observation date: Jan 26, 2017
Submitted by: SCohen
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 15, 2017
Observation date: Jan 22, 2017
Submitted by: gpstewart
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Feb 05, 2017
Observation date: Jan 16, 2017
Submitted by: SCohen
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 03, 2017
Observation date: Jan 04, 2017
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 08, 2017
Observation date: Jan 02, 2017
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 08, 2017
Observation date: Mar 28, 2016
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jan 05, 2017
Observation date: Oct 13, 2016
Submitted by: stomlins701
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 29, 2016
Observation date: Nov 28, 2016
Submitted by: stomlins701
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 29, 2016
Observation date: Dec 08, 2016
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 20, 2016
Observation date: Dec 12, 2016
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 20, 2016
Observation date: Dec 14, 2016
Submitted by: AJVanh.arch
Region: Martin County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 20, 2016
Observation date: Nov 03, 2013
Submitted by: Terry W. Johnson
Region: Monroe County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Dec 12, 2016
Observation date: Nov 04, 2016
Submitted by: randimal
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 12, 2016
Observation date: Nov 12, 2016
Submitted by: abwest
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 12, 2016
Observation date: Nov 02, 2016
Submitted by: kjbalcar
Region: Texas, Wilson County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 03, 2016
Observation date: Aug 22, 2015
Submitted by: Duane Miller
Region: Baldwin County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 26, 2016
Observation date: Oct 19, 2016
Submitted by: mercretas
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 25, 2016
Observation date: Oct 13, 2016
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 18, 2016
Observation date: Oct 16, 2016
Submitted by: lostpineslife
Region: Bastrop County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 16, 2016
- ‹ previous
- 19 of 38
- next ›