Diet

• Caterpillars feed on passionvines (Passiflora spp.).

• Females lay their eggs singly on stems or leaves. The young caterpillars make characteristic narrow feeding grooves in the leaves.

• Adults feed mainly on flower nectar but also visit bird droppings and other sources of minerals and nutrients.

Range

• The Banded Orange Heliconian ranges from central Mexico through Central America and southward through much of tropical South America to Brazil.

• It occurs in Guerrero and is within its expected range in the Zihua area, particularly in warm lowland habitats where passionvines occur.

• In Mexico it is primarily a species of warm lowland and lower-elevation environments.

Habitat

• It favours open tropical habitats, including lowland fields, pastures, forest edges, secondary woodland, roadsides, and other sunny areas with passionvines.

• Passiflora biflora, one of its known hosts, commonly grows along forest edges, roadsides, and disturbed vegetation, sometimes in full sun and sometimes in partial shade.

• Adults may rest communally on grasses and low vegetation, particularly during periods of inactivity.

Description

• A large, striking longwing with a wingspan of approximately 86–89 mm.

• The upper surface is predominantly bright burnt orange, crossed by bold black bands. The forewing has several strong dark bands, while the hindwing has a broad black median band and a black outer margin containing a row of orange spots.

• The underside repeats the basic pattern but is duller and more brownish, providing better camouflage when the butterfly is resting.

• Males are generally brighter orange with sharply defined black bands, while females tend to be duller orange with softer, less sharply defined dark markings.

• Its combination of vivid orange coloration and broad black transverse bands makes it one of the more readily recognized Heliconiinae in its range.