The zebra longwing butterfly can be found in the southern United States from Florida over to Texas. They have long, narrow wingswhich are black with light yellow zebra-like stripes. It also has long black antennae. They are often found in hammocks and thickets.
The zebra longwing butterfly caterpillars eat the leaves of passion flowers. The passion flower contains a toxin that gives the zebra longwing an unpleasant taste and makes it poisonous to predators. Adults 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. Adult individuals often form small communal roosts at night.