© Mathieu Joron and James Mallet 2000
The photo shows Müllerian mimicry (mutualistic
resemblance in which all the species are unpalatable) between forms of Heliconius
numata (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) and their comimics in the genus Melinaea
(Nymphalidae: Ithomiinae) from San Martín, Eastern Peru. Each pair
of pictures shows a separate "sub-ring" of the "tiger-patterned" mimicry
ring in the area, with the presumed models (each a separate species of Melinaea)
above and mimics (H. numatamorphs) below. See also details of
other co-mimics in the melanic upland ring
(bottom centre), and the paper by Joron et
al. and Mathieu
Joron's web page on the maintenance of mimetic polymorphism in Heliconius
numata.
Last updated: 11 Oct 2005