Heliconius heurippa is a butterfly of the genus Heliconius that is believed by some scientists to be a separate species from—but a hybrid of—the species Heliconius cydno and Heliconius melpomene, making H. heurippa an example of hybrid speciation.[2][3]
H. heurippa is found on the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains in Colombia.[1]
The color pattern of H. heurippa appears to be a combination of the patterns found on H. cydno and H. melpomene. Natural hybrids from San Cristóbal, Táchira, Venezuela, display wing patterns very similar to H. heurippa, supporting the hypothesis of a hybrid origin for the species.[4]
A team from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama attempted to recreate H. heurippa by breeding H. cydno with H. melpomene.[5] In only three generations of hybridization, the investigators developed butterflies with wing patterns almost identical to those of H. heurippa[6][7] that may be very similar to the first H. heurippa individuals.[7]
Butterflies within Heliconius are "extremely choosey" about finding mates with wing patterns that match their own,[8] and H. heurippa males given a choice between mating with females of H. heurippa, H. cydno, or H. melpomene species were 75 to 90 percent more likely to choose their own kind.[5] They were similarly discriminating when presented with photographs of wing patterns instead of actual mates.[7] The wing patterns of H. heurippa individuals also make them undesirable as mates for members of their parents' species as well,[8] showing evidence for reproductive isolation between H. heurippa and its putative parental species.[7]
Skeptics wish to see further genetic sequencing demonstrating that wild H. heurippa is a hybrid similar to the laboratory-developed animals,[5] and the H. heurippa hybrid speciation hypothesis has been the subject of a recent (2011) critical review.[9] There is evidence to suggest that the genome of H. heurippa may be a mosaic.[10]
The species H. timareta and H. pachinus[10] are also proposed to result from the hybridization of H. cydno and H. melpomene.[8]
Heliconius heurippa is a butterfly of the genus Heliconius that is believed by some scientists to be a separate species from—but a hybrid of—the species Heliconius cydno and Heliconius melpomene, making H. heurippa an example of hybrid speciation.
Heliconius heurippa est un insecte lépidoptère appartenant à la famille des Nymphalidae, à la sous-famille des Heliconiinae et au genre Heliconius.
Heliconius heurippa a été décrit par William Chapman Hewitson en 1854 sous le nom initial d' Heliconia heurippa[1].
Heliconius heurippa pourrait être un hybride entre Heliconius melpomene melpomene et Heliconius cydno cordula (travaux deSalazar et al. 2005; Mavarez et al. 2006)[2],[3].
Heliconius heurippa est un grand papillon d'une envergure d'environ 85 mm, au corps fin et aux longues ailes antérieures allongées et au bord interne concave[4].
Le dessus est de couleur noire à marron avec aux ailes antérieures deux bandes à bords irréguliers, une blanche du bord costal à l'angle interne collée à une orange qui laisse l'apex marron ou noir.
Les plantes hôtes de sa chenille sont diverses Passifloraceae[2].
Heliconius heurippa est présent en Colombie[1].
Heliconius heurippa réside à une altitude entre 400 m et 2 400 m dans la forêt[2].
Pas de statut de protection particulier.
Heliconius heurippa est un insecte lépidoptère appartenant à la famille des Nymphalidae, à la sous-famille des Heliconiinae et au genre Heliconius.
Heliconius heurippa is een vlinder uit de familie van de Nymphalidae.[1] De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1854 door William Chapman Hewitsoni.
Bronnen, noten en/of referenties