The photo shows Müllerian mimicry of
various Ithomiinae, a day-flying moth and Heliconius numata from San
Martín, Eastern Peru. This sub-ring of the tiger ithomiine mimicry
ring occurs commonly between 500 and 1800 m altitude on the Eastern slopes
of the Andes from Ecuador to Bolivia. Top row: Hypothyris meterus
meterus, Mechanitis mazaeus ssp. Second row: Hyposcada
anchiala mendax,Heliconius numata bicoloratus (Nymphalidae: Heliconiiti).
Third row: Chetone sp. (Arctiidae: Pericopinae), Melinaea "marsaeus"
mothone. All are Nymphalidae: Ithomiinae unless otherwise stated.
See also details of other ithomiine -- H.
numata mimicry rings from San Martín, Mathieu Joron's web
page and the paper by Joron et
al. on the maintenance of mimetic polymorphism in Heliconius numata.
Last updated: 17 April 2001