Zebra Longwing
Long narrow black wings crossed by pale yellow bands identify Florida’s state butterfly, a pollen-feeder with unusually long adult life.
Artwork inspired by Earl Cunningham
Zebra longwings use passionflower vines as caterpillar hosts and retain chemical defenses derived from them. Adults do something rare among butterflies: they collect and digest pollen as well as drinking nectar, gaining nutrients that help extend life and support reproduction.
At dusk, multiple adults may return to the same sheltered roost and hang together night after night. Observe the gathering without pushing through vegetation or lighting it continuously. Native passionflowers support larvae, but check the plant species and source; ornamental vines can be poor substitutes or become invasive.
- Wing shape
- Long and narrow
- Adult food
- Nectar plus digested pollen
- Florida link
- Official state butterfly
Quick guide
- Follow the slow flight
- Longwings often float deliberately through shaded gaps.
- Find passionflower
- Eggs and spiny caterpillars occur on host vines.
Recognize and observe
- Follow the slow flight
- Longwings often float deliberately through shaded gaps.
- Find passionflower
- Eggs and spiny caterpillars occur on host vines.
- Return near dusk
- A communal roost may assemble in the same place.
- Keep the roost dark
- Avoid flash and repeated disturbance after butterflies settle.
Good to know
Black-and-yellow striping is shared by several longwings. The elongated wing shape and exact band pattern matter more than the zebra nickname.
Notice these
- Long and narrow
- Nectar plus digested pollen
- Official state butterfly