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Longwing Butterflies of Zihuatanejo

TRIBE HELICONIINI

HELICONIINI - LONGWING BUTTERFLIES - GENUSES

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Tribe Heliconiini is a colourful and distinctive group of brush-footed butterflies (family Nymphalidae) that is well represented in Mexico. Members of this tribe are known for their elongated wings, graceful flight, and striking patterns of black, orange, yellow, red, and white, many of which serve as warning coloration to predators. Their caterpillars feed primarily on passionflower vines (Passiflora), from which they obtain chemical compounds that make both larvae and adults distasteful. Adults are notable for their unusually long lifespans, ability to learn foraging routes, and, in some species, the habit of feeding on pollen in addition to nectar.

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