Butterflies – Tiger Longwing – Heliconius ismenius

Butterflies – Tiger Longwing – Heliconius ismenius

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Photographed at the Butterfly exhibit in the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2011.

The Tiger Longwing, also referred to as the Ismenius Longwing and various other similar combinations of the two is a brush-footed butterfly which lives naturally in Central America in a range reaching south into Venezuela and north into the southern reaches of Mexico. The Tiger Longwing’s flashy orange and black colors are an indication that the butterfly has some other way to protect itself from predators.  In this butterfly’s case, the form of protection comes from the chemicals of the host food Passiflora sp. that the larvae integrate into their tissues and which are passed along to the adult stage.

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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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