Eueides isabella

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

Description
Eueides isabella is a large butterfly with a wingspan of 65 - 90 mm. 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

 File:Eueides isabella isabella MHNT.jpg|E. i. isabella - MHNT 