Heliconiinae

This family is unique to the Neotropical region

Most are brightly coloured (brighter in life ) and breed well in captivity and are long lived , making them popular with butterfly houses. They can live for 6 months apparently because of their high protein diet (they gather pollen when sipping nectar)

The family characteristics :

Medium sized brightly coloured ,which are found in a wide range of habitats from forest to savannah

Weak sexual dimorphism is seen in a few species (except Heliconius natttereri -where it is marked) , and the males have androconia on the hindwing. The precise location of the androconial scales is useful to identify similar species

Larvae are cylindrical with branched spines and a pair of spiny horns on the head.

Pupae are long and slender with a pronounced thoracic bend ,and spines and other projections (sometimes pronounced on the head) along the wingcase and abdomen

Larva eat Passifloriaceae plants