top of page

Butterfly populations are a very good indicator of the health of an area's ecosystem !!

   The Doris Longwing is known for being a polymorphic species which participates in various *Müllerian mimicry rings throughout Central America and the Amazon rain forest.

   They are commonly found from sea level to 1200 metres in forest clearings, and have a very slow and graceful flight pattern.

   Doris Longwings can appear in many colors. In all forms, the background color is black, and the cream color on the forewings is always present. The patch of color coming from the base of the hindwings, however, may be either blue, red, orange, or dark cream.

   *There are about 71 Longwing species worldwide.

Longwings.png
Avg. Wingspan: 2¾ to 3½ ".
Diet: Larvae primarily feed on granadilla species.
Diet: Adults feed on nectar from Lantana flowers, with the females also collecting pollen from the Psiguria and Psychotia flowers.
Doris Longwing (Heliconius doris)

Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta, Order: Lepidoptera

* Being Brush-footed butterflies, Doris Longwings have a short pair of fore legs that are used to taste food, and two pairs of longer rear legs that are used for propulsion.
The single biggest threat to butterfly survival is habitat destruction!!
butterfly-20clipart-2-butterflies.gif
bottom of page