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Photo#76163
Zebra Longwing egg and first instar 08/30 - Heliconius charithonia

Zebra Longwing egg and first instar 08/30 - Heliconius charithonia
Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida, USA
August 30, 2006
Size: 3 mm
Several batches of these eggs have been laid on the new growth of my passion vines this summer. Sadly, the young caterpillars have consistently been taken by ants before they were even big enough to identify. Since gulf fritillaries and zebra longwings are so similar in the early instars, I decided to raise a few so I could get a definite ID. I ended up with nine larvae from a single shoot I brought in - some were still in the eggs at this stage.

Images of this individual: tag all
Zebra Longwing egg and first instar 08/30 - Heliconius charithonia Zebra Longwing caterpillars 09/01 - Heliconius charithonia Zebra Longwing caterpillars 09/02 - Heliconius charithonia Zebra Longwing caterpillars 09/06 - Heliconius charithonia Zebra Longwing caterpillars 09/09 - Heliconius charithonia Zebra Longwing caterpillars 09/10 - Heliconius charithonia Zebra Longwing chrysalides 09/11 - Heliconius charithonia Zebra Longwing newly emerged 09/18 - Heliconius charithonia - female