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
BAMONA Shop
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 73 - 96 of 869 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 22, 2022
Submitted by: Chip Gilbert
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 23, 2022
Observation date: Sep 21, 2022
Submitted by: Chip Gilbert
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 22, 2022
Observation date: Sep 17, 2017
Submitted by: Phil.Delestrez
Region: Jasper County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 19, 2022
Observation date: Sep 11, 2022
Submitted by: wbarrymedlin
Region: Lowndes County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 19, 2022
Observation date: Dec 16, 2014
Submitted by: JimConrad
Region: Yucatan, Mexico
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Sep 02, 2022
Submitted by: louisianashorty
Region: St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 15, 2022
Observation date: Dec 20, 2015
Submitted by: cbruner
Region: Cayo District, Belize
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 11, 2022
Observation date: Sep 02, 2022
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Sep 11, 2022
Observation date: Feb 11, 2019
Submitted by: Shutterbug59
Region: Stann Creek District, Belize
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Feb 02, 2022
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
Observation date: Oct 14, 2021
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Georgia, Treutlen County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 05, 2022
Observation date: Jan 19, 2016
Submitted by: W Fogleman
Region: Heredia, Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 02, 2022
Observation date: Jun 27, 2019
Submitted by: magnolyah
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jul 24, 2022
Observation date: Jan 28, 2022
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 15, 2022
Observation date: Jun 23, 2022
Submitted by: Eldiem
Region: Hancock County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 05, 2022
Observation date: Jun 28, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 02, 2022
Observation date: Jun 17, 2022
Submitted by: MF
Region: Seminole County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 17, 2022
Observation date: Dec 25, 2021
Submitted by: brandonlloyd
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: Jun 16, 2022
Observation date: Jan 02, 2007
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jun 09, 2022
Observation date: Jan 06, 2022
Submitted by: LouiseHello
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 05, 2022
Observation date: Apr 28, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 30, 2022
Observation date: Apr 08, 2022
Submitted by: kathy lichtendahl
Region: Manatee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 10, 2022
Observation date: Apr 08, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 09, 2022
Observation date: Apr 03, 2022
Submitted by: NicholleM
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 03, 2022
- ‹ previous
- 4 of 37
- next ›