Heliconius Erato, Red Postman Butterfly
by Venetia Featherstone-Witty
Title
Heliconius Erato, Red Postman Butterfly
Artist
Venetia Featherstone-Witty
Medium
Photograph - Photographs
Description
Heliconius erato, the red postman, is one of about 40 Neotropical species of butterfly belonging to the genus Heliconius. It is also commonly known as the small postman, the red passion flower butterfly, or the crimson-patched longwing.
The species is remarkably variable in colour and form throughout northern South America, depending on location, and its various appearances can be difficult to distinguish from various other Heliconius butterflies such as Heliconius sara, also known as the Sara longwing. Particularly hard to distinguish is the related Heliconius melpomene, or "the postman", which mimics almost all the colour forms of Heliconius erato; colour forms are synchronized between the two throughout their common habitats. It is likely the clade containing Heliconius Erato radiated first, establishing the wing pattern diversity found in both species of butterfly. Two features found on the underside help to distinguish H. erato from H. melpomene—H. erato has four red dots where the wing attaches to the thorax while H. melpomene has three and the yellowish white stripe on the underside reaches the margin of the hindwing in H. erato but ends early in H. melpomene.
FEATURED 4/26/17 in "Groovy Butterflies"
FEATURED 4/26/17 in "Macro Marvels"
FEATURED 4/26/17 in "Animal Photographs"
FEATURED 4/27/17 in "All About Nature and the Animals"
FEATURED 4/27/17 in "Macro Marvels"
FEATURED 4/29/17 in "Wildlife One A Day"
FEATURED 5/5/17 in "Kingdom Animalia"
FEATURED 5/6/17 in "FAA Portrait Gallery"
FEATURED 7/9/18 in "Art District"
FEATURED 7/10/17 in "All Natural Beauty Of This World"
FEATURED 6/13/18 in "Macro Marvels"
FEATURED 6/18/20 in "Visions of Spring, Glances of Summer"
FEATURED 6/21/20 in "500 Views Share Group"
FEATURED 6/22/20 in "Images That Excite You"
FEATURED 6/27/20 in "500 Views on One Image"
FEATURED 6/27/20 in "Your Very Best Photography"
FEATURED 10/29/20 in "10 Plus"
FEATURED 11/26/21 in "The Wonder of Wings"
FEATURED 11/27/21 in "1000 Views on 1 Image"
FEATURED 11/28/21 in "Macro"
FEATURED 12/4/21 in "Out of the Ordinary"
Uploaded
April 25th, 2017
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Viewed 1,996 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/23/2024 at 10:10 PM
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Comments (27)
Christopher James
One of your peers nominated this image in the 1000 views Groups Special Features #19 promotion discussion. Please help your fellow artists by visiting and passing on the love to another artist in the the 1000 Views Group....L/F/Tw
Shoal Hollingsworth
This is fantastic. I nominated it for a Special Feature in the 1000 Views image. L/F
Diana Mary Sharpton
Gorgeous color contrast! Nominating for special feature on the 1000 view group. T/F
Christopher James
Congratulation.....your wonderful work has been featured in the 1000 Views on 1 Image Group ..... Please place your featured image in the Feature Archive and any other appropriate Archives l/f/p
John M Bailey
Congratulations on your feature in the Fine Art America Group "Images That Excite You!" Sharing on Pinterest Board - Images That Excite You!
Robyn King
Congratulations your beautiful work is being featured in 500 Views Share Group & Shared:-)
Morris Finkelstein
Beautiful photo of a Red Postman butterfly, with great colors, perspective and composition, Venetia! F/L
Emmy Vickers
Wow, what a beauty! Love the up close capture. Great color and background. Nicely composed Venetia. l/v