Butterflies – Small Postman – Heliconius erato

Butterflies – Small Postman – Heliconius erato

(perhaps subspecies petiverano)

Photographed at the Carleton University “Live” Butterfly exhibit in the Fall of 2010. (Location)

A small butterfly, the Small Postmen is commonly found in Central America and South America and occasionally as far north as Texas. It is a member of the sub-family Heliconiinae of the family Nymphalidae. The Erato longwings are also known as the Red Postman, and the Small Postman Longwing. This butterfly favors the Passiflora family of flowers (Passion Vines) and eats not only the nectar but also the pollen of this family of flowers.

I think that the above photo is of the subspecies Heliconius erato petiverano which is referred to as the Crimson-patched Longwing in Costa Rica. Size is generally about 7 cm.

The Heliconius erato are not poisonous but their colour and habits mimic the Heliconius melpomene which is poisonous or distasteful to predators.

 

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About Ron

Ron has long had an interest in photography and traveling and, in recent years, has had more time to devote to both activities. Long a Pentax user, Ron switched to Nikon gear when he went digital. The advent of the digital SLR camera, and the ease of the internet blogging process, has provided a venue for sharing his photography and travel experience at the local, national and international level. More about Ron
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