Heliconius

Heliconius is a genus of butterflies, family Nymphalidae, commonly called longwings or heliconians, comprising approximately 39 to 50 species depending on the taxonomic treatment, distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the New World from South America as far north as the southern United States. Adults display bright warning coloration signaling distastefulness to predators and produce cyanogenic, cyanide-bearing compounds as a chemical defense; unlike most other butterflies, adults consume pollen in addition to nectar, which allows for unusually extended lifespans, while larvae feed exclusively on passion flower vines of the family Passifloraceae. Well known species include the zebra longwing, Heliconius charithonia, the postman butterfly, Heliconius melpomene, and the crimson-patched longwing, Heliconius erato; the genus is a major subject of evolutionary research into mimicry and speciation.