Heliconius numata

Heliconius numata, the Numata longwing, is a brush-footed butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae, subfamily Heliconiinae.

Numata longwing
Heliconius numata, underside
H. numata on Passiflora flower. Upperside
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Heliconius
Species:	H. numata
Binomial name
Heliconius numata (Cramer, 1780)
Subspecies
Many, see text
Synonyms
List Papilio numata Cramer, [1780] Eueides pione Hübner, 1816 Heliconius numata var. melanops Weymer, 1894 Heliconius numata var. guiensis Riffarth, 1900 Heliconius numata isabellinus f. intermedia Boullet & Le Cerf, 1909 Heliconius numata f. melanopors Joicey & Kaye, 1917 Papilio silvana Stoll, [1781] Heliconius diffusus Butler, 1873 Heliconius silvana var. divisus Kaye, 1906 Heliconius numata silvaniformis Joicey & Kaye, 1917 Heliconius silvana atakama Neustetter, 1931 Heliconius dryalus Hopffer, 1869 Heliconius ethra ab. brasiliensis Neustetter, 1907 Heliconius ethra var. hopfferi Neustetter, 1907 Heliconia aristiona Hewitson, [1853] Heliconius aristiona var. peruana Hopffer, 1879 Heliconius aristiona var. splendidus Weymer, 1894 Heliconius aurora Bates, 1862 Heliconius numata var. isabellinus Bates, 1862 Heliconius eupharius Weymer, 1890 Heliconius gordius Weymer, 1894 Heliconius floridus Weymer, 1894 Heliconius seraphion Weymer, 1894 Heliconius gradatus Weymer, 1894 Heliconius aristiona aurora f. michaeli Neustetter, 1931 Heliconius aristiona aurora f. deflavata Neustetter, 1932 Heliconius aristiona idalion f. excelsa Neustetter, 1932 Heliconius euphone C. & R. Felder, 1862 Heliconius idalion Weymer, 1894 Heliconius tleson Riffarth, 1901 Heliconius aganippe Riffarth, 1901 Heliconius aristiona lepidus Riffarth, 1907 Heliconius idalion f. confluens Neustetter, 1912 Heliconius euphone ab. nephele Seitz, 1916 Heliconius euphone ab. confluxus Seitz, 1916 Heliconius aristiona euphorbius Stichel, 1923 Heliconius mixta Apolinar, 1927 Heliconius numatus laura Neustetter, 1932 Heliconius messene C. & R. Felder, 1862 Heliconius sikinos Riffarth, 1901 Heliconius aristiona messene f. juncta Neustetter, 1925 Heliconius aristiona colombiana Apolinar, 1927 Heliconius aristiona messene f. euphrasinus Neustetter, 1928 Heliconius bicoloratus Butler, 1873 Heliconius numatus sincerus Riffarh, 1907 Heliconia numilia Herrich-Schäffer, 1865 Heliconius aulicus Weymer, 1883 Heliconius lenaeus Weymer, 1891 Heliconius colepta Riffarth, 1901 Heliconius lyrcaeus Weymer, 1891 Heliconius timaeus Weymer, 1894 Heliconius geminatus Weymer, 1894 Heliconius mirus var. illustris Weymer, 1894 Heliconius silvana mirificus Stichel, 1906 Heliconius novatus subnutilus Stichel, 1906 Heliconius superioris var. mavors Weymer, 1894 Heliconius numata superioris ab. translata Joicey & Kaye, 1917 Heliconius mirus Weymer, 1894 Heliconius leopardus Weymer, 1894 Heliconius spadicarius Weeks, 1901 Heliconius arethusa Riffarth, 1901 Helicons novatus obscurior Stichel, 1906 Heliconius novatus artemis Riffarth, 1907 Heliconius insolitus Avinoff, 1926 Heliconius novatus f. confluens Neustetter, 1931 Heliconius aristiona tarapotensis Riffarth, 1901 Heliconius staudingeri Weymer, 1894 Heliconius staudingeri var. pretiosus Weymer, 1894 Heliconius aristiona lepidus f. gracilis Riffarth, 1907 Heliconius aristiona timaeus f. aristeus Neustetter, 1931 Heliconius aristiona staudingeri f. lutea Neustetter, 1931

Distribution and habitat

This species is native to most of South America, from Venezuela to southern Brazil (Guyana, French Guiana, Surinam, Guatemala, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil and Peru). H. numata is a neotropical species, less common in virgin forest than in areas of secondary growth. It occurs at an elevation of 0–1,800 metres (0–5,906 ft) above sea level in tall forests.

Subspecies

Subspecies include:

• Heliconius numata numata (Surinam, French Guiana, Guyana)
• Heliconius numata silvana (Stoll, 1781) (Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela, Guatemala, Brazil: Pará, Amazonas)
• Heliconius numata ethra (Hübner, [1831]) (Brazil: Espírito Santo)
• Heliconius numata aristiona Hewitson, [1853] (Bolivia, Peru)
• Heliconius numata aurora Bates, 1862 (Brazil: Amazonas, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru)
• Heliconius numata euphone C. & R. Felder, 1862 (Colombia, Ecuador)
• Heliconius numata messene C. & R. Felder, 1862 (Colombia)
• Heliconius numata bicoloratus Butler, 1873 (Peru)
• Heliconius numata arcuella Druce, 1874 (Peru)
• Heliconius numata nubifer Butler, 1875 (Brazil: Amazonas)
• Heliconius numata superioris Butler, 1875 (Brazil: Amazonas, Pará, Venezuela)
• Heliconius numata robigus Weymer, 1875 (Venezuela)
• Heliconius numata aulicus Weymer, 1883 (Venezuela)
• Heliconius numata lenaeus Weymer, 1891 (Ecuador)
• Heliconius numata lyrcaeus Weymer, 1891 (Peru)
• Heliconius numata geminatus Weymer, 1894 (Brazil: Amazonas)
• Heliconius numata illustris Weymer, 1894(Peru)
• Heliconius numata mavors Weymer, 1894 (Brazil: Amazonas)
• Heliconius numata mirus Weymer, 1894 (Bolivia)
• Heliconius numata tarapotensis Riffarth, 1901 (Peru)
• Heliconius numata zobrysi Fruhstorfer, 1910 (Brazil: Mato Grosso)
• Heliconius numata ignotus Joicey & Kaye, 1917 (Peru)
• Heliconius numata talboti Joicey & Kaye, 1917 (Peru)
• Heliconius numata pratti Joicey & Kaye, 1917 (Peru)
• Heliconius numata peeblesi Joicey & Talbot, 1925 (Venezuela)
• Heliconius numata jiparanaensis Neustetter, 1931 (Brazil: Rondônia)
• Heliconius numata holzingeri Fernández & Brown, 1976 (Venezuela)
• Heliconius numata sourensis Brown, 1976 (Brazil: Pará)

Description

Heliconius numata has a wingspan of 78 millimetres (3.1 in). These very large butterflies have long and rounded wings of brown and orange color, with very variable markings due to its capacity of mimicry with several species. The caterpillar is white with black spots and black thorns.

Biology

H. numata is known for its mimicry of Melinaea butterflies. Both H. numata and the species of Melinaea it resembles are unpalatable to predators, making this a case of Müllerian mimicry, a mutualistic reinforcement of the same negative signal.

Both males and females are attracted to red or orange flowers, or indeed to pieces of cloth colored red or orange. Eggs typically are found on low-growing vines of Passiflora. Caterpillars mainly feed on plants from the subgenera Granadilla, Astrophea and Distephana (Passifloraceae) and from the genera Tetrastyli and Dilkea.

Gallery

• 
  Heliconius numata bicoloratus
• 
  Heliconius numata numata, dorsal, MHNT
• 
  Heliconius numata numata, ventral, MHNT
• 
  Top four are forms of Heliconius numata, bottom four are H. melpomene and H. erato

Bibliography

• Brown K. S. 1981 The Biology of Heliconius and Related Genera. Annual Review of Entomology 26, 427-456.
• Cramer, Pieter [1721_1776] 1780. De uitlandische Kapellen voorkomende in de drie Waereld-Deelen Asia, Africa en America. Papillons exotiques des trois parties du monde l'Asie, l'Afrique et l'Amérique. Amsteldam, S. J. Baalde; Utrecht, Barthelemy Wild and J. Van Schoonho-ven & Comp.