Heliconius Melpomene Rosina
The Heliconius Melpomene Rosina butterfly is similar to the Heliconius erato. There are many variations in Central and South America. It feeds on various species of Passiflora.
Linnaeus original described this cutie in 1758. According to the Heliconius web site (yes, there is a web site devoted to nothing but this genus), “Pupae are brown with gold spots on the dorsum, the thorax is strongly bowed and have five pairs of black spines in the abdomen.”
These butterflies are also called “Postman” and are plentiful in Costa Rica where they particularly are fond of sunlight forests with lots of flowers. Both H. melpomene and H. erato are poisonous which tend to protect them from bird predators.