In 1996 the Florida State legislature passed a bill declaring the Zebra Longwing as Florida’s State Butterfly. This might be a good choice for the designation because nowhere is this species more common than in Florida. It is found throughout the state in somewhat shaded habitats – especially in wetter areas where their favored passionflowers occur. This is a butterfly that prefers habitats with relatively dense foliage in which it can easily move from sunlight to shade. Trees and shrubs are important to it for use as communal roosts. We have had a dozen or more Zebra Longwings roosting each evening in shrubs beneath a live oak and a cabbage palm in our back yard. Roosts including as many as 75 Zebra Longwings have been reported. The general consensus for such communal roosts seems to be the adage “there’s safety in numbers”.
The black and pale yellow of the adult Zebra Longwing may serve as a warning to potential predators as well as serving as camouflage in its travels through sunlight and shade. There is some variation in adult color in that some individuals have red spots on the body and base of the wings. With its unusually long wings one might think that the Zebra Longwing is a fast flier. Not so. Those long wings allow it to move slowly and maneuver more easily within the vegetation. Zebra Longwings are also unusual in that they have a longer lifespan -- often several months -- as adults. The lifespan of most butterflies is often only a few weeks long. The longer lifespan of the Zebra Longwing is likely because adults readily feed on nectar and pollen.