This little one hung out for about 20 minutes today...so pretty. I couldn't get a topside pic, here's the underside.
Butterfly ID please
That's a Zebra Longwing butterfly! Cool! Nice to see folks are spotting them here as well! Their host plant is also the Passionvine - mainly Corky-Stemmed Passion Flower, Maypop, Yellow Passion Flower, and Incense Passion Flower.
It was on my Lady Margaret! I was talking to my DH - looked outside - stopped all conversation and said "A new butterfly"! Ran to get the camera and I got 3 pics, that was the best! She's just beautiful! Thank you for id'ing! Sharon
This particular butterfly is quite different than most butterflies. Interesting facts about these butterflies:
Facts: The females prefer to lay their eggs on plants in the shade. They lay small groups of yellow eggs on young leaves. The adult (butterflies) occur all months in central and south Florida. Flight is slow and fluttering.
They are unusual in several aspects:
1) The male butterfly will mate with an emerging female butterfly. Several males will perch nearby and then attempt to see who can mate with her. Usually the largest male will succeed. They mate while the female's wings are drying.
2) Females visit flowers not only to sip nectar but to also collect pollen at the end of her proboscis (tongue) that can be digested as proteins that is used for producing eggs.
3) At rest they roost together on the same perch night after night for many weeks. I think that perhaps they live a bit longer than most butterflies.
4) This butterfly became the official state butterfly of Florida in 1996.
I rarely see one of these in my yard. I may not have the right host plants in my yard at this time. Though I do have the first year Maypop vine around my backyard, but it doesn't usually flower until the second year. Perhaps they are not attracted to the Maypop until it flowers? I don't know.
I see these drift through my yard occasionally, but they rarely land on my plants. They are fun to watch though.
MySharona - Do you get fruit on your Lady Margaret Passion Vine? If so, there are seeds in the fruit. I would love to get some seeds from you. I, too, really like the beautiful red flowers on your vine. Quite gorgeous!
Becky - no fruit yet...I keep hoping for some. I've put you on a list just in case! Do you know how to do cuttings? A couple of people have requested, but I don't know how. Lady M has officially made it to the other side of the arbor!
Sharon
Sharon - I am new to gardening too and know a little about starting new plants from cuttings, but I do not know how to mail out such plants. Probably with Passion Vine, you can cut a piece of stem off and put it in water or good potting soil. It will probably form roots over time and give you a new plant! The details of this I am not sure about. I have been very successful growing Passion Vines from seeds (from the fruit). But from cuttings, no.
Perhaps someone here on this forum will be kind enough to either explain it or post a website link on how to do this?
~Becky~
This message was edited Oct 21, 2006 9:10 AM
I have just tried to root a cutting from Passionvine and right now it doesn't look like it will make it.
From what i have read, Zebra Longwings only like Passionvines that are in sun. The Gulf Frits only like the vine in the shade. (Or maybe it is the other way around). Karen
Mine is in full sun and I have GF's all over the place!
So it is the other way around.