Eueides isabella

Eueides isabella, the Isabella's longwing or Isabella's heliconian, is a species of nymphalid butterfly, belonging to the Heliconiinae subfamily.

Isabella's longwing
Dorsal view
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Eueides
Species:	E. isabella
Binomial name
Eueides isabella (Stoll, 1781)
Synonyms
List Papilio isabella Stoll, [1781] Nereis dianasa Hübner, [1806] Papilio eva Fabricius, 1793 Eueides anaxa Ménétriés, 1855 Eueides zorcaon Reakirt, 1866 Eueides cleobaea zorcaon ab. adusta Stichel, 1903 Eueides dianasa ab. decolorata Stichel, 1903 Eueides cleobaea var. monochroma Boullet & Le Cerf, 1910 Eueides pellucida Srnka, 1885 Eueides isabella seitzi Stichel, 1903 Eueides hippolinus Butler, 1873 Eueides isabella hippolinus ab. personata Stichel, 1903 Eueides isabella hippolinus ab. brunnea Stichel, 1903 Eueides imitans Seitz, 1912 Eueides isabella hübneri ab. spoliata Stichel, 1903 Eueides isabella isabella f. perimacula Boullet & Le Cerf, 1910 Eueides isabella hippolinus ab. margaritifera Stichel, 1903 Eueides isabella pellucida ab. vegetissima Stichel, 1903 Eueides isabella hübneri var. olga Neustetter, 1916

Description

Eueides isabella is a large butterfly with a wingspan of 65–90 millimetres (2.6–3.5 in). The uppersides of the wings is dark brown, with orange bands and yellowish markings on the edges of the forewings. The undersides of the wings are quite similar to the uppersides, but the edges of the hindwings show a series of small blue spots.

The flight period extends to the whole year in the tropical habitat. They are active even in low light. Caterpillars are white and black covered by long black spines. They are gregarious and they primarily feed on Passiflora platyloba and Passiflora ambigua.

Distribution

This species can be found from Mexico to the Amazon basin and the West Indies.

Habitat

Eueides isabella lives in the rainforest where it remains in the canopy. It can be found from sea level to about 1500 m above sea level.

Subspecies

• E. i. isabella (French Guiana, Suriname, Trinidad)
• E. i. arquata Stichel, 1903 (Colombia)
• E. i. cleobaea Geyer, 1832 (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Central America)
• E. i. dianasa (Hübner, [1806])
• E. i. dissoluta Stichel, 1903 (Perú, Ecuador)
• E. i. dynastes C. et R. Felder, 1861 (Venezuela, Colombia)
• E. i. ecuadorensis Strand, 1909 (Ecuador)
• E. i. eva (Fabricius, 1793) (Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama)
• E. i. hippolinus Butler, 1873 (Peru)
• E. i. huebneri Ménétriés, 1857 (Colombia)
• E. i. melphis (Godart, 1819) (Haití, Antilles)
• E. i. nigricornis Maza, 1982 (Brazil)
• E. i. subspecies (Brazil)

Similar species

• Heliconius ismenius – tiger heliconian
• Lycorea halia – tiger mimic-queen
• Eresia phyillyra – tiger heliconian
• Mechanitis lysimnia – confused tigerwing
• Mechanitis menapis – variable tigerwing
• Mechanitis polymnia – disturbed tigerwing
• Hypothyris lycaste – round-spotted ticlear
• Hypothyris euclea – common ticlear

• 
  E. i. isabella - MHNT

References

• Butterflies of America
• Tree of Life