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Butterfly World Isle of Wight
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2020 6:03 pm
by Ian Pratt
I would appreciate any help in identifying these butterflies seen yesterday. Two and three are the same butterfly.
Thanks.
Re: Butterfly World Isle of Wight
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2020 10:22 pm
by Ian Pratt
I think images two & three are heliconius melpomene, the common postman.
Re: Butterfly World Isle of Wight
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 10:32 am
by 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
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
) is the swallowtail, which I believe is
Battus polydamus.
Guy
Re: Butterfly World Isle of Wight
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 7:28 pm
by Ian Pratt
Thanks Guy. Very helpful.
Re: Butterfly World Isle of Wight
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 9:22 pm
by Ian Pratt
I agree with Guy that number four is gold rim swallowtail, otherwise known as tailless swallowtail!!
Re: Butterfly World Isle of Wight
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 9:30 pm
by Ian Pratt
Number one may be a parides species otherwise known as a cattleheart.