Why do these social butterflies smell bad?

By Chelsie Vandaveer

March 13, 2002

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The zebra longwing (Heliconius charitonius Linnaeus) is a brush-footed butterfly. The first pair of legs are greatly reduced, but covered with tiny brush-like sensors. These sensors enable the butterfly to 'taste' and 'smell'.

Zebra Longwing Butterfly Photographic Print
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The zebra longwing develops from egg to imago (adult) in as little as 21 days, but the imago can live as long as six months. The butterflies are found in shady yards and at the edges of forests where passion vines (Passiflora spp.) are present.

The females become receptive prior to emerging from the chrysalis and exude pheromones attracting males. The males fight; the winner mates with the emerging female. The male 'scent marks' the female; she ceases to attract other males. This ensures all offspring will be from the original mating.

The female zebras lay eggs on passion vines, the host plants for the caterpillars. The white caterpillars sequester toxins from the vines, providing the caterpillar and later, the butterfly with protection from predators. (See Renfield's Garden, August 1, 2001)

Zebras are social; the caterpillars feed in groups and the butterflies roost in colonies, returning to the same roost every night. The toxins make these butterflies taste and smell bad. It's thought the 'aroma' coming from a colony keeps predators away.

Like other butterflies, zebras take nectar from flowers, but they also collect sticky pollen. The pollen is carried in the curl of the proboscis, appearing like a yellow ram's horn protruding from the butterfly's head. The zebra flies to a quiet place and secretes digestive enzymes from the tip of the proboscis. This external digestion provides the butterfly with a liquid high in amino acids and is possibly the reason these butterflies are so long lived.

Plant of the Week 7/30/2001

Passionflower (Passiflora)
It is said that a Spanish doctor, Monardes, discovered passionflowers (Passiflora edulis) in 1569 while traveling in South America. Of course, the natives of the Amazon already knew of these vines and called them maracuja. The Incas, the Aztecs, the Mayans, and many of the native peoples of the Americas knew of passionflowers and had medicinal uses for the plants. In Virginia, the vine was called maracoc. The similarity of names from the Amazon to the eastern seaboard indicates that the natives had been using and discussing these vines for a very long time. But Monardes was the one to introduce the passionflower and its medicinal uses to Europe. Plant of the Week 7/30/2001 Alien Passiflora Desktop

James Adams has posted a photograph of roosting zebra longwings on the Dalton State College website.

Click here to view the photograph

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Commemorates the Crucifixion, according to legend.

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Chelsie's Note: The Spanish living in the West Indies called these plants granadilla, because the delicious fruit somewhat resembles the granadas or pomegranate. The botanical and common names came in a roundabout way. These names were derived from Flos Passionis, a name bestowed upon these plants by the Spanish friars who came to the Americas to convert the Native Americans to Catholicism. With the differences in languages, the friars needed teaching tools and the passionflower made for good symbolism when teaching of the suffering and crucifixion of Christ.

The Spanish friars' legend of the passionflower runs thus: The three bracts at the base of the flower represent the trinity of God. The ten petal-like structures represent the ten apostles present at the crucifixion, Peter being absent because he denied Christ and Judas because he betrayed Christ. In some versions, the fringe petals represent the lash wounds from the whips of the Romans, in other versions; they represent the crown of thorns. The five anthers signified the wounds to Christ's body. The three stigmas at the top represent the nails in the hands and feet. From Plant of the Week 7/30/2001