Zebra Longwing Butterfly

butterfly · Florida · warning colors

Bold striped wings. The zebra longwing has dramatic black and white stripes on its wings that look similar to a zebra's markings. These bold colors are a warning signal to predators that the butterfly tastes bad.

Predator warning colors. The zebra longwing's stripes are aposematic, which means they advertise danger to keep predators from eating it. Over time, predators learn to recognize these patterns and avoid the butterfly.

Florida's state butterfly. The zebra longwing is the official state butterfly of Florida, where these beautiful insects are commonly found in warm, tropical areas.

Named by Linnaeus. This butterfly was first scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus, a famous naturalist, in 1767. Scientists gave it the scientific name Heliconius charithonia.

Special butterfly family. The zebra longwing belongs to a subfamily called Heliconiinae, which includes some of the most colorful and patterned butterflies in the world.