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 145 - 168 of 885 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 24, 2021
Submitted by: LauraSea
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 25, 2021
Observation date: Jul 12, 2021
Submitted by: LauraSea
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 14, 2021
Observation date: Jul 02, 2021
Submitted by: michellelynn1982
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 11, 2021
Observation date: Jul 11, 2021
Submitted by: michellelynn1982
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 11, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2021
Submitted by: LauraSea
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 10, 2021
Observation date: Jun 26, 2021
Submitted by: LauraSea
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 28, 2021
Observation date: Jun 11, 2021
Submitted by: LauraSea
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 14, 2021
Observation date: Jun 14, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 14, 2021
Observation date: Jun 03, 2021
Submitted by: LauraSea
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 09, 2021
Observation date: May 27, 2021
Submitted by: JoyceSw
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 29, 2021
Observation date: May 11, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 20, 2021
Observation date: May 17, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 20, 2021
Observation date: May 01, 2021
Submitted by: Birdwatcher5
Region: Volusia County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 03, 2021
Observation date: Apr 23, 2021
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 28, 2021
Observation date: Apr 17, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 17, 2021
Observation date: Jul 21, 2018
Submitted by: KShell
Region: Dixie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 07, 2021
Observation date: Mar 14, 2021
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 24, 2021
Observation date: Dec 15, 2020
Submitted by: DVL
Region: Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 17, 2021
Observation date: Mar 02, 2021
Submitted by: dmontero99
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 03, 2021
Observation date: Sep 09, 2012
Submitted by: Mark Hutchinson
Region: Hernando County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 29, 2021
Observation date: Mar 22, 2013
Submitted by: Dwaine Wagoner
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 27, 2021
Observation date: Jan 19, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 20, 2021
Observation date: Sep 16, 2019
Submitted by: Mdmcbride
Region: Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 01, 2021
Observation date: Oct 30, 2020
Submitted by: gpstewart
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 01, 2021
- ‹ previous
- 7 of 37
- next ›