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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.
Butterflies of the Amazon rainforest
 
Common Longwing
Heliconius erato LINNAEUS, 1758
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - HELICONIINAE
Tribe - HELICONINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Heliconius erato, Rio Madre de Dios, Peru
 
Introduction
 
The Heliconiinae is subdivided into the tribes Acraeini, Argynnini, and Heliconiini.
 
The latter tribe are colloquially known as Longwings, and are confined exclusively to the neotropical region. The butterflies are easily recognised by their distinctive patterns, elongated forewings and the characteristic delicate fluttering flight.
 
The Heliconiini includes the genus Heliconius ( 39 species ), and the smaller genera Dryas, Dryadula, Eueides, Neruda, Laparus, Philaethria, Podotricha, Agraulis and Dione.
 
Heliconius erato is one of the commonest and most widespread of the Longwings, found from Mexico to Bolivia.
 
The butterfly produces a wide range of geographical forms. In these the cream patch on the forewing may be reduced into a group of dashes in the shape of a claw, or may be coloured red or pink instead of cream - or may be entirely absent. The basal area of the forewings is usually red, but may be absent in some races. The hindwing markings may be red, orange or cream, either in the form of radiating lines, or as a solid median band.
 
Perhaps the most dramatic variation is the race cyrbia from the mountains of Ecuador - this taxa has a lurid pink band across the forewings, white submarginal rays on the hindwings, and a beautiful metallic blue sheen across the entire wing surface.
 
There are no less than 29 described subspecies of erato, each different in colour and pattern. It will therefore come as no surprise to learn that this highly variable insect can easily be confused with several other Heliconius species !
 
Habitats
 
The butterfly occurs commonly at elevations between sea level and about 2400m on both sides of the Andes. It can be seen flying in two's or three's around clearings, and along roads and tracks through primary forest, but is found in greater abundance in secondary forest. In the rainy season it can be commonly found in forest / pasture mosaics, but abandons these in favour of more heavily forested areas in the dry season.
 
Lifecycle
 
The eggs are yellow, and laid singly on the leaf buds of Passiflora.
 
The caterpillar, when fully grown is white with black spots, and branched black spines along the back and sides. The head is straw coloured, with a pair of recurved black spines.
 
The chrysalis is brown with golden spots on the abdomen and thorax. It bears many short black spikes on the abdomen, and along the costa of the wing cases. The head is bifid, with the labial palpi extended and twisted. The overall impression is of a decaying dead twisted leaf, hanging from a stem.
 
Adult behaviour

 

Heliconius butterflies, including erato, are characterised by having a delicate fluttering flight, particularly when hovering around flowers.

 

Both sexes visit Lantana and a wide variety of other flowers for nectar, and sequester pollen from Psiguria flowers in the forest. Erlich & Gilbert demonstrated that individual butterflies learn and remember the location of particular Psiguria plants, which they visit daily, following a predefined circuit through the forest. The pollen collected from the flowers is processed by the butterflies to extract proteins which enable the females to continue producing eggs over a long period. They also increase longevity - adults can live for up to 9 months, much longer than other rainforest species.

 

The pre-nuptial behaviour of Heliconius erato, as observed by myself in Costa Rica, is fascinating to watch. Female pupae, when close to emergence, often have several male adults in very close attendance. A frantic battle takes place the instant the female hatches, as all the males struggle to copulate with her, not even allowing her time to expand and dry her wings. The mated pair then have to endure the attention of the remaining males, which are often extremely persistent, trying to prise the pair apart. Eventually, with the approach of dusk, the unsuccessful males disperse, allowing the pair to remain copulated until the next morning.

 

 
 
Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007-2008, and must not be reproduced or published in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.
 
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