Heliconius numata, the numata longwing, is a brush-footed butterfly species native to most of South America, known for its mimicry of Melinaea butterflies. Both H. numata and the species of Melinaea it resembles are unpalatable to predators, making this a case of Müllerian mimicry, a mutualistic reinforcement of the same negative signal.
H. numata is a neotropical species, less common in virgin forest than in areas of secondary growth. Both males and females are attracted to red or orange flowers, or indeed to pieces of cloth colored red or orange. Eggs and larvae are typically found on low-growing vines of Passiflora.
Subspecies
Heliconius numata numata (Surinam, French Guiana, Guyana)
