On Saturday the 13th, we visited Lettuce Lake Regional Park in Tampa. The park features a 3500 foot boardwalk with an observation tower overlooking the water. A huge crowd of people were out enjoying a warm, sunny October day. Along the boardwalk we spotted White Ibises, a Little Blue Heron, a Tricolored Heron and a Belted Kingfisher. In the canopy we saw Cardinals, Downy and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, a White-Eyed Vireo, a Black-and-White Warbler and several Tufted Titmice. We also spotted two butterflies, today's featured fliers.
The Zebra Longwing is a black butterfly with yellowish-white stripes on elongated wings. It's wingspan is 3 to 3 1/2 inches. In 1996, the Zebra Longwing officially became the state butterfly of Florida. In the U.S., they can be found in the southeast, from Virginia to Florida. They feed on nectar and pollen. They are the only butterflies known to eat pollen, which is probably why they have a long lifespan. They can live from three to six months, compared to one month for other butterfly species.
The Question Mark is an orange butterfly with dark markings, irregular wing edges and a brownish underside. This ventral (wings closed) coloration helps it resemble a dead leaf when resting. It's wingspan is 2 1/4 to 3 inches. A silver mark on the ventral hindwing is broken into two parts, a curved line and a dot, creating a ?-shaped mark that gives the species its common name. They feed on rotting fruit, tree sap, dung or carrion. Only when these sources are unavailable do Question Marks visit flowers for nectar. In winter months the Question Mark is more orange, and less dark. They can be found in southern Canada, from the eastern edge of the Rockies south to Arizona and into Mexico, and the entire eastern U.S.
You never know what you'll see while you're out birding.....tweet.....tweet!!
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| Zebra Longwing Butterfly (Taken 10/12/12, Tampa FL) |
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| Question Mark Butterfly
(Taken 10/12/12, Tampa FL)
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