Butterfly World Isle of Wight

[Ian Pratt]

I would appreciate any help in identifying these butterflies seen yesterday. Two and three are the same butterfly.
Thanks.

[Ian Pratt]

I think images two & three are heliconius melpomene, the common postman.

[Padfield]

It's very difficult to identify Heliconius with confidence unless you are either an expert or have more info than you get in a butterfly house. I agree pictures 2 & 3 are likely to be melpomene - a species widely bred in butterfly houses - but very similar forms occur in other Heliconius species. Heliconius shows incredible mimicry rings, with huge variation within a species and often very little between converged forms of different species.

The only butterfly here I would be confident with (so probably wrong ) is the swallowtail, which I believe is Battus polydamus.

Guy

[Ian Pratt]

Thanks Guy. Very helpful.

[Ian Pratt]

I agree with Guy that number four is gold rim swallowtail, otherwise known as tailless swallowtail!!

[Ian Pratt]

Number one may be a parides species otherwise known as a cattleheart.