Zebra Longwing and Jatropha

I created this piece for the Organic in the City Fashion Show and Auction event for Texas Discovery Gardens. I was so excited to take some beautiful pictures of this Zebra Longwing alight on a dangerously beautiful Jatropha plant, as I walked through the Rosine Smith Sammons Butterfly House and Insectarium at Texas Discovery Gardens. Using the photos and my love of vibrant colors and detail, the piece “Zebra Longwing and Jatropha” was born. The Zebra Longwing is the mascot butterfly for Texas Discovery Gardens. It is actually a poisonous species due to the host plant it feeds on, they advertise this with their brilliant black and yellow- white markings. Slow but dignified, the Zebra Longwing is a weak flier. Long antennae and a slender body are typical of these butterflies, which are at home in the tropics, but can sometimes be found as far north as Kansas. According to Wikipedia, Jatropha is a genus of approximately 175 succulent plants, shrubs and trees, from the family Euphorbiaceae. The name is derived from (Greek iatros = physician and trophe = nutrition), hence the common name physic nut. Jatropha is native to Central America and has become naturalized in many tropical and subtropical areas, including India, Africa, and North America. As with many members of the family Euphorbiaceae, Jatropha contains compounds that are highly toxic.

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