Zebra Longwing on Firebush #2
by Paul Rebmann
Title
Zebra Longwing on Firebush #2
Artist
Paul Rebmann
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
A zebra longwing butterfly gathering both pollen and nectar from a native firebush flower in Florida.
The zebra longwing is the official Florida state butterfly and can be found throughout the Florida peninsula, mostly in hammocks and along the edges of forested rivers and streams. The range includes the West Indies, south Texas, Mexico and Central America.
Heliconius charitonius has a wingspan of from 72mm to 100mm (about 3-4 inches). The forewings are long and narrow, jet black above with three yellow bands. The hindwings have one yellow band and a row of yellow spots. The undersides of the wings are paler, with red spots at the base.
The larvae are a white caterpillar with rows of white dots and six rows of black spines and feed exclusively on passionflower vines.
The adult butterflies can be seen feeding on numerous wildflowers including firebush and beggarticks. Zebra longwings are unusual among butterflies in that they feed on both nectar and pollen. The pollen improves their health and longevity, promotes egg production and makes them distasteful to predators. Several of the photos here show pollen collected on the proboscis.
Firebush is a woody shrub or small tree of hardwood forests, coastal hammocks and shell middens in the central and southern peninsula of Florida, rarely inland. Also found in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Hamelia patens var. patens is an evergreen shrub to small tree growing to 5m (16 ft.) tall. The narrow tubular, red to orange flowers from 1.3-4cm (1/2 to 1-1/2 in.) long and about 3mm (1/8 in.) wide grow in terminal and axillary clusters and may bloom all year. Leaves are most frequently in whorls of three, pubescent leaves that are entire, elliptic, 5-15cm (2-6 in.) long and 2-8cm (3/4 - 3 in.) wide. Fruit is a round, juicy berry 5-10mm in diameter and maturing into red to a purplish-black.
Firebush is also a popular landscape plant.
Note that many plants sold as firebush may be a non-native variety - Hamelia patens var. glabra. The non-native plant has paler flowers, often with a tight constriction near the base of the tube, and almost always leaves in whorls of four. The leaves are smooth, or glabrous, without hairs. Often marketed as African or dwarf firebush, it has little to no value to wildlife.
Uploaded
December 1st, 2023
Embed
Share