This sounds wonderful! Thanks for your report. As a new visitor to this forum, it would help me learn more about butterflies if I could easily tell where you are.

Thanks

Sorry, I need to remember that in this forum my zone does not appear with my name. I live in Central Florida, zone 9B.

Oh my gosh, that sounds wonderful. Judging by the species you are seeing, you must be somewhere in the south, right? I have only seen zebra long wings when my husband and I go to Florida to visit my in-laws. You are very lucky to have such wonderful butterflies in your area.

Liz

Whoops! You must've posted at the exact same minute as me!thanks for the additional info.

Liz

Oh, and you can add your zone to your name-go back to your profile. You can see how it comes out by my post.

I went back to try and change it. I don't think it took.

The Zebra Longwing is the state butterfly of Florida. It is very cold sensitive. A hard freeze will kill all the butterflies and I think all the chrysalises. We have not had a hard freeze here in Central Florida for three or four years. When we do have a hard freeze I won't see them until June or July when they come from the south. For the past three years or so they have been the most numerous butterfly on my property. There are some around continuously from dawn to dusk.

We are fortunate to have them. They are very distinct in their flight pattern. It is slow and leisurely compared to virtually all the others that I see. They don't taste good to predators, so they can take their time on their travels.