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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 869 verified sightings
Observation date: Feb 09, 2022
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sinaloa, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Nov 25, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Nov 25, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Nov 30, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Dec 18, 2015
Submitted by: mztleca
Region: Sinaloa, Mexico
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 24, 2023
Observation date: Feb 16, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 21, 2023
Observation date: Jan 22, 2023
Submitted by: Jasmyn Smit
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 23, 2023
Observation date: May 14, 2015
Submitted by: XplorMor Intern...
Region: Matanzas, Cuba
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 23, 2023
Observation date: Dec 25, 2022
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jan 20, 2023
Observation date: Jan 07, 2023
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 07, 2023
Observation date: Dec 17, 2022
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Dec 18, 2022
Observation date: Nov 11, 2022
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Dec 14, 2022
Observation date: Nov 02, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Nov 12, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 02, 2022
Observation date: Nov 26, 2022
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 27, 2022
Observation date: Nov 02, 2022
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Glynn County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Nov 04, 2022
Observation date: Sep 22, 2022
Submitted by: D Grimes
Region: Brooks County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Oct 21, 2022
Observation date: Mar 25, 2018
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Camaguey, Cuba
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 16, 2022
Observation date: Feb 26, 2017
Submitted by: devjohnstone
Region: Villa Clara, Cuba
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 16, 2022
Observation date: Dec 06, 2015
Submitted by: PDunwiddie
Region: Pinar del Rio, Cuba
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 16, 2022
Observation date: Jan 15, 2020
Submitted by: Geni Certain
Region: Guerrero, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Jul 12, 2017
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Chiapas, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 10, 2022
Observation date: Sep 24, 2022
Submitted by: Chip Gilbert
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 25, 2022
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