Labeling. Beggarticks, Bidens sp., and Heliconius charithonia, Zebra Heliconian, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
What's in a name?, one might well ask. Anyone visiting Butterfly Houses anywhere will likely encounter beautiful Zebra Heliconian or Zebra Longwing. Those who look at Latin names might be surprised: there's a prevalent spelling of 'Heliconius charitonia' which is quite wrong, missing out an 'h'. The 'official' name is: Heliconius charithonia. If you're interested, look at the learned taxonomical article by Andrew V.Z. Brower in the Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society , 1994. In two closely printed pages all the pros and cons of this name-giving are precisely and astutely treated. It's a good read, too!
In the photo are three of them savoring a Bidens, a Beggartick. Here again a matter of naming. The sign tells us that this is Bidens biternata (Lour.) Merr. & Sherff, and that it hails from China. If this is the case, it's the same plant that João de Loureiro (1717-1791) (cf: www.flickr.com/photos/87453322@N00/25180121449/in/photoli...) described (1790) as Coreopsis biternata. But I don't think the Bidens in the photo is this one. Loureiro's plant has yellow asterlike flowers, and these are white. Perhaps the Hortus has seeded 'Biternata' here and these Longwings and I alit on white before they've flowered...
Labeling. Beggarticks, Bidens sp., and Heliconius charithonia, Zebra Heliconian, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
What's in a name?, one might well ask. Anyone visiting Butterfly Houses anywhere will likely encounter beautiful Zebra Heliconian or Zebra Longwing. Those who look at Latin names might be surprised: there's a prevalent spelling of 'Heliconius charitonia' which is quite wrong, missing out an 'h'. The 'official' name is: Heliconius charithonia. If you're interested, look at the learned taxonomical article by Andrew V.Z. Brower in the Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society , 1994. In two closely printed pages all the pros and cons of this name-giving are precisely and astutely treated. It's a good read, too!
In the photo are three of them savoring a Bidens, a Beggartick. Here again a matter of naming. The sign tells us that this is Bidens biternata (Lour.) Merr. & Sherff, and that it hails from China. If this is the case, it's the same plant that João de Loureiro (1717-1791) (cf: www.flickr.com/photos/87453322@N00/25180121449/in/photoli...) described (1790) as Coreopsis biternata. But I don't think the Bidens in the photo is this one. Loureiro's plant has yellow asterlike flowers, and these are white. Perhaps the Hortus has seeded 'Biternata' here and these Longwings and I alit on white before they've flowered...