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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) » Heliconians and Fritillaries (Heliconiinae) » Longwings or Heliconians (Heliconiini) » Heliconius » Zebra Longwing - Hodges#4418 (Heliconius charithonia)

Species Heliconius charithonia - Zebra Longwing - Hodges#4418

Classification · Hodges Number · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Zebra Longwing caterpillars 09/02 - Heliconius charithonia Zebra Butterflies - Heliconius charithonia Zebras In Shade - Heliconius charithonia - male - female Zebra Longwing - Heliconius charithonia Zebra Longwing Eggs - Heliconius charithonia Zebralongwing1 - Heliconius charithonia Butterfly - Heliconius charithonia January Zebra - Heliconius charithonia
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)
Family Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Subfamily Heliconiinae (Heliconians and Fritillaries)
Tribe Heliconiini (Longwings or Heliconians)
Genus Heliconius
Species charithonia (Zebra Longwing - Hodges#4418)
Hodges Number
4418
Other Common Names
Zebra Heliconian
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Syn: charitonia, see Brower (1994)
Explanation of Names
Heliconius charithonia (Linnaeus 1767)
Size
72-100mm (1)
Identification
Adult: Black wings with narrow yellow stripes. (1)


Caterpillar: White with fine transverse bands. Six rows of black spines. (1)
Range
Peninsular Florida and south Texas. (Strays to CA-CO-NY) / W. Indies / Mex. to C. Amer. (MPG), BOA
Habitat
Tropical hammocks and edges of river forests. (1)
Season
year round in s FL and s TX (MPG)
Food
Larvae feed on Passion-vines. (1). Adults consume pollen in addition to nectar.
Remarks
Zebra Longwing butterflies roost gregariously, forming large clusters and often returning to the same roost night after night:


Adult males are attracted to female chrysalids just before they emerge. (2) See below, and linked images, for an example:


The Zebra Longwing is the state butterfly of Florida.
See Also
No similar N. Amer. spp.
Print References
Opler, pp. 233-234, plate 19. (1)
Brower, A.V.Z. 1994. The case of the missing h: Heliconius charithonia (L., 1767), not "Heliconius charitonia (L., 1767)." Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 48(2): 166-168. (PDF)
Internet References
Moth Photographers Group - MPG
Butterflies of America - BOA
Butterflies and Moths of North America - BAMONA
The Royal Society. Pollen feeding in the butterfly Heliconius charitonia.
Works Cited
1.A Field Guide to Eastern Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides)
Paul A. Opler, Vichai Malikul, Roger Tory Peterson. 1992. Houghton Mifflin Company.
2.Butterflies and Moths (A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press)
Robert T. Mitchell, Herbert S. Zim, Andre Durenceau. 2001. Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press.
Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by Mike Boone, Hannah Nendick-Mason, Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn
Last updated 18 November, 2016 - 7:59am

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