A few photos of a Zebra Longwing butterfly in the Audubon House pollinator garden at the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area in Indian River County, Florida. Aside from the butterfly’s flighty nature, these images were also hampered by a brisk wind blowing the butterfly in and out of frame when it alighted on a plant. In the image below note the large clumps of yellow pollen sticking to the butterfly’s proboscis as it probes a flower for nectar and pollen. According to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, “Adult Zebra Longwing butterflies feed on both flower nectar and pollen. The additional nutrients from the pollen enable individuals to survive for several months, far exceeding the normal two to four week adult life span of most other butterflies.”



Heliconius charithonia became the official state butterfly of Florida in 1996.