Butterfly (Heliconius sp)

About Butterfly (Heliconius sp)

• Kingdom: Animals
• Phylum: Arthropods
• Class: Insects
• Order: Butterflies and Moths
• Family: Brush-footed Butterflies

Heliconius comprises a colorful and widespread genus of brush-footed butterflies commonly known as the longwings or heliconians. This genus is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the New World, from South America as far north as the southern United States. The larvae of these butterflies eat passion flower vines (Passifloraceae). Adults exhibit bright wing color patterns which signal their distastefulness to potential predators.