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Project Noah Nature School
Heliconius sp.
Heliconius erato or Heliconius melpomene
Bayucca: Unfortunately I do not have another view - they were flitting around me the whole time I was in the area but rarely sat still!
Anne.. following link telling.. you have spotted erato specie...
http://www.nature.com/hdy/journal/v97/n3...
It is anyway always helpful to take several shots from different views for an ID, even it is an unsharp or other kind of "bad" shot. Never trash them ;-)...
As it seems you do not have any other view?
Thanks bayucca - I didn't realize there was another species so similar as to be indistinguishable. You always want to get a photo of the "pretty" side of the butterfly. Obviously it's important to get a look at the other side as well! I've changed the ID to just heliconius sp.
I would not bet my ranch on Red Postman. It is either Heliconius erato petiverana or Heliconius melpomene rosina. To my knowledge there is no possibility to separate the two without a ventral view.
Spotted on May 8, 2012
Submitted on May 8, 2012
