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Skip Navigation LinksLife Forms==> Animal - Animalia==> Jointed Legged Animals - Arthropoda==> Insects - Insecta==> Butterflies And Moths - Lepidoptera==> Bow Wings - Heliconidae
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Family Heliconidae - Bow Wings


Dione juno


Dione moneta


Dione moneta


Dione vanillae


Dione vanillae


Dryadula phaetusa


Dryas julia


Eueides aliphera


Eueides isabella


Eueides isabella


Eueides lineata


Eueides lybia


Eueides lybia


Eueides pavana


Eueides procula


Eueides tales


Eueides vibilia


Heliconius antiochus


Heliconius aoede


Heliconius atthis


Heliconius besckei


Heliconius burneyi


Heliconius burneyi


Heliconius burneyi


Heliconius charitonius
Butterfly - Zebra

Heliconius charitonius


Heliconius charitonius


Heliconius clysonimus


Heliconiuscydno


Heliconius cydno


Heliconius cydno


Heliconius cydno


Heliconius cydno


Heliconius doris


Heliconius doris


Heliconius doris


Heliconius eleuchia


Heliconius erato


Heliconius erato


Heliconius erato


Heliconius erato


Heliconius erato


Heliconius erato


Heliconius erato


Heliconius erato


Heliconius erato


Heliconius ethilla


Heliconius ethilla


Heliconius ethilla


Heliconius godmani


Heliconius hecalesia


Heliconius hecalesia


Heliconius hecale


Heliconius hecale


Heliconius hecale


Heliconius hecale


Heliconius hecale


Heliconius hecale


Heliconius hewitsoni


Heliconius hortense


Heliconius ismenius


Heliconius ismenius


Heliconius melpomene


Heliconius melpomene


Heliconius melpomene


Heliconius melpomene


Heliconius melpomene


Heliconius melpomene


Heliconius melpomene


Heliconius melpomene


Heliconius melpomene


Heliconius numata


Heliconius numata


Heliconius numata


Heliconius pachinus


Heliconius pardalinus


Heliconius sapho


Heliconius sapho


Heliconius sapho


Heliconius sara


Heliconius sara


Heliconius sara


Heliconius telesiphe


Heliconius timareta


Heliconius wallacei


Heliconius xanthocles


Philaethria dido


Philaethria wernickei


Podotrichajudith


Podotrichatelesiphe


Dionevanillae


Heliconiusleucadia


Heliconius melpomene


Heliconiushecuba


Heliconiushimera


Heliconiusricini


Heliconiusantiochus


Heliconiushecale


Heliconius melpomene


Heliconius melpomene


Heliconius erato


Heliconius erato


Heliconius erato


Heliconius erato


Heliconius erato


Heliconius xanthocles


Heliconiuserato


Heliconiusnumata


Heliconiusmelpomene


Dione vanillae


Heliconius erato


Heliconiusclysonymus


Eueideseanes


Heliconiuspardalinus


Heliconiusnumata


Heliconiuserato


Heliconiusnumata

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Narrative

Bow Wing butterflies (Family Heliconidae) is restricted to the New World tropics. These medium-sized butterflies are generally very brightly colored and greatly prized by butterfly collectors. They usually have long narrow wings, thin bodies, and long antennae. This family includes the Agraulis, Dione, Dryas, Eueides, and Heliconius genera.

The taxonomy of this group is one of the most complex imaginable. The hundreds of named forms are quite distinct from each other. Recent research, however, has shown that these forms can be reduced to approximately 70 different species. Many species have a large number of different forms. Gerardo Lamas in his 2004 checklist of Neotropical Lepidoptera reduces the Heliconidae family to the tribe Heliconiini in the subfamily Heliconiinae. His Heliconiinae subfamily also includes the Argynnini (the Speyeria and Euptoieta genera)and the Acreidae. Mr. Lamas shows 72 species in the Heliconidae family as explained here.

Perhaps the most confusing group is the Heliconius erato and Heliconius melpomene groups. These two species are widespread in South America, and they typically form mimicry pairs. However, in the next valley these two species might appear quite different from the previous valley, and yet still are similar to each other. (Gerardo Lamas shows about 29 named forms in the erato species and about 29 forms in the melpomene species.)

Several other butterfly families are also frequently involved in mimicry with this family. Some Papilio, some moths, and some Ithomidae are frequently noted for being good mimics.

For advanced studies refer to "An Illustrated List of the Type- Specimens of the Heliconiinae," Vol. 32 No. 5, published by the British Museum. This reference gives an illustrated list of 300 type specimens currently in the British Museum.

Taxonomy

Latin

English

Kingdom Animalia Animal
Phylum Arthropoda Jointed Legged Animals
Class Insecta Insects
Order Lepidoptera Butterflies And Moths
Family Heliconidae Bow Wings
SubFamily

References

TitleAuthorComments
An Illustrated List of the Type-Specimens of HeliconiinaeAckery, Phillip RonaldThis work pictures 404 different forms of the Heliconidae butterfly family, and shows their current placement as subspecies of the correct species. The Heliconiidae family is noteworthy because many species have differerent color forms that are quite unlike other color forms in the same species. The situation is further complicated by the fact that different species mimic each other in different places, such that you can have two almost identical looking butterflies that represent two species. Then, one might encounter these same two species again after traveling several hundred miles. And this time, they would have a totally different appearances.
International Butterfly BookSmart, PaulThis book has had numerous printings and various titles including some including words such as butterfly encyclopedia. The accuracy of the book is superb, and the color photogrphs showing about 2,000 different species are excellent. This is a must have for the beginning student of world wide butterflies. With the exception of the D'Abrera books which are more complete, this work is the best book we have seen.
Eastern MothsCovell, Charles V., Jr.This excellent book covers the moths of the eastern United States and Canada. Most species are pictured with color photographs, but some of the smaller species are shown with black and white photographs. 650 are shown in color and 650 are shown in black and white to total about 1,300 species covered.
Butterflies of AfricaWilliams, John G.436 species are described and 283 are illustrated in color. Although not all of the butterfly species found in Africa are shown, this guide covers most of the larger and more colorful species.
Butterflies of the West IndiesRiley, Norman D.A comprehensive guide to the identification of Caribbean butterflies with 338 illustrations. This book fills an important need as there are books on USA butterflies and books on neotropical butterflies, but in many instances the insular butterflies are ignored even though many unique forms are present in the area.
Concise Atlas of the Butterflies of the WorldD'Abrera, BernardAlthough not up to the previous standards set by the same author for his superb series on butterfliles by each geographic region, this is the best book published to date to serve as a summary of the world of butterflies. For somebody on a limited budget, this book is highly recommended.
Butterflies of Britain & EuropeChinery, MichaelThis is a truly excellent field guide. All specimens are shown in photographs taken in natural environments.
Butterflies of the Oriental Region, Part IID'Abrera, BernardBernard D'Abrera has spent his life photographing, studying, and writing about the collections at the British Museum. His superb works on butterflies contain all species portrayed life size, with many females, and many subspecies pictured. The butterfly scientist will find these books of great value. This volume covers Nymphalidae, Satyridae, and Amathusidae of the oriental region.
Butterfiles of the Afrotropical RegionD'Abrera, BernardBernard D'Abrera has spent his life photographing, studying, and writing about the collections at the British Museum. His superb works on butterflies contain all species portrayed life size, with many females; many subspecies pictured. The butterfly scientist will find these books of great value. This large volume covers all families of African butterflies.
Butterflies of the Oriental Region, Part ID'Abrera, BernardBernard D'Abrera has spent his life photographing, studying, and writing about the collections at the British Museum. His superb works on butterflies contain all species portrayed life size, with many females, and many subspecies pictured. The butterfly scientist will find these books of great value. This volume covers the Papilionidae, Pieridae, and Danaidae of the oriental region.
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