A Zebra Longwing Butterfly On A Zinnia Genus Plant Stock Photo

This is an Heliconius charitonia butterfly, Nymphalidae family, Heliconiinae subfamily. Common name: zebra longwing. Distributed across South and Central America and as far north as southern Texas and peninsular Florida. The adult butterflies are unusual in feeding on pollen as well as on nectar. Pollen enables them to synthesize cyanogenic glycosides that make their bodies toxic to potential predators. On the dorsal side, the wings are black with narrow white and yellow stripes, with a similar pattern on the ventral side, but paler and with red spots. The wingspan ranges from 72 to 100 mm. Observed near Cerro Cahuí Protected Biotope, Petén, Guatemala. Population and distribution threatened by climate change.