Heliconius hecalesia, the five-spotted longwing, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from Central America to Venezuela and Ecuador.

The wingspan is 50–61 mm. Adults feed on flower nectar.

Heliconius hecalesia

The larvae feed on plants from the subgenera Tryphostemmatoides and Plectostemma, including Passiflora biflora and Passiflora lancearea. They are gregarious. Pupation takes place in a slate grey pupa with black markings.

Heliconius hecalesia

Subspecies

H. h. hecalesia (Colombia) H. h. formosus Bates, 1866 (Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua) H. h. octavia Bates, 1866 (Guatemala) H. h. gynaesia Hewitson, 1875 H. h. longarena Hewitson, 1875 (Colombia) H. h. eximius Stichel, 1923 (Colombia) H. h. romeroi Brown & Fernández, 1985 (Venezuela)

Heliconius hecalesia

References

hecalesia

Nymphalidae of South America

Butterflies described in 1853