I took a couple of hours yesterday to pull up a mob of canna lilies that were determined to take over the front yard flower bed and to prune the butterfly bush and the zinia garden. Then, today, as if to say “thank you,” a gorgeous Zebra Longwing arrived and was in no particular hurry to leave.

Zebras are not frequent visitors to my front yard, so I was thrilled to get to spend some time taking his picture.

Looking at him, it’s easy to see why he is in the Longwing family.

This one took his time flitting from flower…

…to flower…

…to flower…

…to flower.

Occasionally, he would even add a little greenery to his diet. Unlike most butterflies, which are primarily nectar nippers, Zebras also partake of pollen. Perhaps this is why they live about 6 times longer than the average butterfly.

I always like when I manage to catch one in flight – which I must confess is more accidental than skillful!

I love the hidden splash of magenta on the underside of his wings.

Hanging out with him was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.