The Zebra Longwing Butterfly has been the Florida state butterfly since 1996. Starting as tiny yellow eggs, they grow into caterpillars, which are white to pale yellow and have black spines. Like all butterflies, they enter another stage of metamorphosis by developing a chrysalis. The color of their chrysalis can change depending on the surface it is attached to. This is an evolutionary mechanism they acquired a long time ago. Once the butterfly reaches adulthood, it becomes a beautiful pollinator like the one shown feeding on a shepherd’s needle.
