Viewing post #622507 by mellielong

Here's a mating couple from the Museum of Science and Industry today. I volunteer there on Sundays at their butterfly garden.



Oh yeah, I just remembered my avatar is a Zebra Longwing! Here's a couple of fun facts. The Zebra Longwing is the official state butterfly of Florida. They can also live 6-9 months unlike the average butterfly which only lives a few days to two weeks. Why, you ask? Well, Zebra Longwings have the ability to collect pollen on their proboscis. They then secrete an enzyme that liquefies the pollen so they can suck it up through the proboscis. This added nutrition gives them the ability to live a lot longer than on a diet of nectar alone.