Julia Heliconian
Dryas iulia
The Julia Heliconian is a slender orange butterfly of tropical and subtropical forests, edges, gardens, and sunny clearings from the southern United States through Central and South America. Adults sip nectar from flowers and also visit damp soil and animal droppings for minerals, flying with quick, gliding movements close to vegetation. Its caterpillars feed on passionflower vines, whose defensive chemicals help make the insect unpalatable to many predators. A notable trait of this species is its unusually long forewings, giving it a narrow, graceful shape in flight.
- Type
- Wing
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- Julia Heliconian Caterpillar
- ?
- Julia Heliconian