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

References