Heliconius melpomene
Encyclopedia
The Postman Butterfly, Common Postman, or simply Postman (Heliconius melpomene) is one of the Heliconiine
butterflies
found from Mexico
to northern South America
. Several species in the genus
have very similar markings and are difficult to distinguish.
. Two features found on the underside help to distinguish H. erato from H. melpomene—H. erato has four red dots where the wing attaches to the thorax while H. melpomene has three and the yellowish white stripe on the underside reaches the margin of the hindwing in H. erato but ends before reaching the margin in H. melpomene.
There are many forms of this butterfly. The geographical variation in patterns has been studied using crossing experiments and it has been found that the patterns are associated with a small number of genetic loci.
(AFLP) and mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA) datasets, places the origins of H. melpomene at 2.1 Mya . H. melpomene shows clustering of AFLPs by geography suggesting that the species originated in eastern South America.
to Southern Brazil.
feeds on passion flower
species. In Central America, the host plants are Passiflora oerstedii and Passiflora menispermifolia. In other places they breed on several other Passiflora species.
Heliconiinae
The Heliconiinae, commonly called heliconians or longwings, are a subfamily of the brush-footed butterflies . They can be divided into 45-50 genera and were sometimes treated as a separate family Heliconiidae within the Papilionoidea...
butterflies
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...
found from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to northern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. Several species in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
have very similar markings and are difficult to distinguish.
Subspecies
Subspecies of Heliconius melpomene (Linnaeus, 1758) include:- Heliconius melpomene aglaope (C. & R. Felder, 1862)
- Heliconius melpomene amandus (Grose-Smith & Kirby, 1892)
- Heliconius melpomene amaryllis (C. & R. Felder, 1862)
- Heliconius melpomene cythera (Hewitson, 1869)
- Heliconius melpomene euryades (Riffarth, 1900)
- Heliconius melpomene malleti (Lamas, 1988)
- Heliconius melpomene melpomene (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Heliconius melpomene meriana (Turner, 1967
- Heliconius melpomene modesta (Riffarth, 1900)
- Heliconius melpomene nanna (Stichel, 1899)
- Heliconius melpomene penelope (Staudinger, 1894)
- Heliconius melpomene plesseni (Riffarth, 1907)
- Heliconius melpomene sticheli (Riffarth, 1907)
- Heliconius melpomene rosina (Boisduval, 1870)
- Heliconius melpomene thelxiope (Hübner, [1806])
- Heliconius melpomene unimaculata (Hewitson, 1869)
- Heliconius melpomene vicinus (Ménétriés, 1847)
- Heliconius melpomene vulcanus (Butler, 1865)
- Heliconius melpomene xenoclea (Hewitson, [1853]
Description
The Postman butterfly has large long wings with an orange stripe down each forewing. It is poisonous and has red patterns on its wings. They tend to look similar to the species Heliconius eratoHeliconius erato
The Red Postman is one of about 40 Neotropical species of butterfly belonging to the genus Heliconius. It is also commonly known as the Small Postman, the Red Passion Flower Butterfly, or the Crimson-patched Longwing.-Description:The species is remarkably variable in colour and form throughout...
. Two features found on the underside help to distinguish H. erato from H. melpomene—H. erato has four red dots where the wing attaches to the thorax while H. melpomene has three and the yellowish white stripe on the underside reaches the margin of the hindwing in H. erato but ends before reaching the margin in H. melpomene.
There are many forms of this butterfly. The geographical variation in patterns has been studied using crossing experiments and it has been found that the patterns are associated with a small number of genetic loci.
Origins
A recent study, using amplified fragment length polymorphismAmplified fragment length polymorphism
Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism PCR is a PCR-based tool used in genetics research, DNA fingerprinting, and in the practice of genetic engineering. Developed in the early 1990s by Keygene, AFLP uses restriction enzymes to digest genomic DNA, followed by ligation of adaptors to the sticky...
(AFLP) and mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria, structures within eukaryotic cells that convert the chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, adenosine triphosphate...
(mtDNA) datasets, places the origins of H. melpomene at 2.1 Mya . H. melpomene shows clustering of AFLPs by geography suggesting that the species originated in eastern South America.
Distribution
The distribution of this butterfly is from Central AmericaCentral 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 Southern Brazil.
Larva
The caterpillarCaterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
feeds on passion flower
Passion flower
Passiflora, known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants, the namesakes of the family Passifloraceae. They are mostly vines, with some being shrubs, and a few species being herbaceous. For information about the fruit of the passiflora...
species. In Central America, the host plants are Passiflora oerstedii and Passiflora menispermifolia. In other places they breed on several other Passiflora species.
Further reading
- Baxter S. W., Nadeau N. J., Maroja L. S., Wilkinson P., Counterman B. A. et al. (2010). "Genomic Hotspots for Adaptation: The Population Genetics of Müllerian Mimicry in the Heliconius melpomene Clade". PLoS GeneticsPLoS GeneticsPLoS Genetics is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that reflects the interdisciplinary nature of genetics and genomics research by publishing contributions in all areas of biology. The journal is indexed in PubMed Central, PubMed, and ISI Web of Knowledge, and was originally created by Wayne...
6(2): e1000794. - Meyer A. (2006). "Repeating Patterns of Mimicry". PLoS BiologyPLoS BiologyPLoS Biology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering all aspects of biology. Publication began on October 13, 2003.It was the first journal of the Public Library of Science. All content in PLoS Biology is published under the Creative Commons "by-attribution" license...
4(10): e341.
External links
- Heliconius melpomene at the Tree of Life Web ProjectTree of Life Web ProjectThe Tree of Life Web Project is an ongoing Internet project providing information about the diversity and phylogeny of life on Earth. This collaborative peer reviewed project began in 1995, and is written by biologists from around the world....
- Funet Taxonomy