Heliconius hecalesia
Encyclopedia
The Five-spotted Longwing (Heliconius hecalesia) is a species of butterfly
of the Nymphalidae
family. It is found from Central America
to Venezuela
and Ecuador
.
The wingspan
is 50–61 mm. Adults feed on flower nectar.
The larva
e feed on plants from the subgenera Tryphostemmatoides and Plectostemma, including Passiflora biflora
and Passiflora lancearea. They are gregarious. Pupation takes place in a slate grey pupa with black markings.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
family. It is found from Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 50–61 mm. Adults feed on flower nectar.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed on plants from the subgenera Tryphostemmatoides and Plectostemma, including Passiflora biflora
Passiflora biflora
Passiflora biflora is a two-flowered passion flower. It is an exotic Passiflora known for its white blooms which occur in pairs. Passiflora biflora is a fast growing vine with semi-lobed leaves. Vines may grow many feet in a single season. Its exact hardiness is unknown but it is probably...
and Passiflora lancearea. They are gregarious. Pupation takes place in a slate grey pupa with black markings.
Subspecies
- Heliconius hecalesia hecalesia (Colombia)
- Heliconius hecalesia formosus Bates, 1866 (Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua)
- Heliconius hecalesia octavia Bates, 1866 (Guatemala)
- Heliconius hecalesia gynaesia Hewitson, 1875
- Heliconius hecalesia longarena Hewitson, 1875 (Colombia)
- Heliconius hecalesia eximius Stichel, 1923 (Colombia)
- Heliconius hecalesia romeroi Brown & Fernández, 1985 (Venezuela)