Stats

Lifespan: 3-6 months
Size: Large
Diet: Herbivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Group
Biome: Tropical rainforest
Range: The Americas
Movement: Flight
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Warning colors
Status: Common

About

This striped butterfly lives in the tropical forests and gardens of the Americas. It consumes pollen to live for months, far longer than most other adult butterflies.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A tiny ribbed egg laid on the underside of a host-plant leaf, hatching within days.
2.
caterpillar
A voracious caterpillar feeds and molts through several instars, growing rapidly.
3.
chrysalis
A chrysalis hangs sealed and still while the body remodels into a winged adult.
4.
butterfly
A winged adult with full scales and coloration, ready to fly and mate.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Heliconius
Species: Heliconius charithonia