Sara longwing

Please, check your ID, thanks!

Lovely!

When you are on your way to edit, you should take a look at this one too: Here is the link i forgot in my last comment: http://darnis.inbio.ac.cr/ubisen/FMPro?-DB=UBIPUB.fp3&-lay=WebAll&-error=norec.html&-Format=detail.html&-Op=eq&id=3825&-Find http://neotropicalbutterflies.com/Site%20Revision/Pages/Nymphalidae_Pages/Heliconiinae%20Tribes/Heliconiini_Longwings/Longwing_pages/Heliconius_eleuchia.html

This one is the real Eleuchia Longwing, so, please, update your ID. Yours is Heliconius sara theudela.

Please, update your ID.

The so called pupal mating process is well examined. In about 42% of all passion vine butterfly it is the usual mating habit. The mating process is actually finished before or at the time the female is leaving the chrysalis. But it may start several days before, almost like a "male camping ground". How that really function (opening process might be by proteolytic enzymes and certainly not physical force) one must dive deeper in the scientific literature. This mating is happening at the very last pupal stage, so the chrysalis as a protecting stage as Juan pointed out is correct, but at the end there must be anyway some softening of the pupae for the female to get out of the whole package. What she needs then would be a protection against all these crazy males. And I read once that there is such a protection: The first male introduce not only sperm but also a antiaphrodisiac pheromone to fix this "monogamic" relation. http://lepidopterist.org/Zebra%20longwing-Heliconius%20charithonia-pupal-mating2.htm

Hi guys, I can see you have a very interesting discussion here. First, males recognize females with pheromones. Second, I don´t think they are mating, but waiting for the female to emerge. I think is impossible they can put in the right position for mating when the female is in the chrysalids. Third, chrysalids are tipically closed for protecting the molting insect against predation/parasitism, so I don´t think sperm could enter the chrysalis.

It is Heliconius sara theudela.

Wow, Incredible!

If you look at the mentioned link and some links below you will see the differences between Sara and Eleuchia. In Eleuchia the outer white stripe and the bigger patches are usually not straight as in Sara but curved and the red spots are much bigger in Eleuchia than in Sara. And in Sara there is another detached red spot. The white band on the hindwing is in Eleuchia VERY strong and broader than in Sara where the patches are usually interrupted by larger black stripes than in Eleuchia. Take a look at the links: There you will see the same behaviour! Obviously it is easier for all these males of Eleuchia get directly to the sources of a mass of pupae/chrysalis to make their same business as every year ;-)... http://butterfliesofamerica.com/heliconius_sara_theudela_specimens.htm http://butterfliesofamerica.com/heliconius_e_eleuchia_live2.htm So it is Heliconius sara theudela in my opinion, not Eleuchia or Fulgidus or Veraepacis.

That's a great piece of information, bayucca...had no idea why they were gathering on a chrysalis, however I don't believe that your id is correct...notice that there is white on the hind wing...thus it must be a eleuchia...unlike the sara fulgidus which has no white on the hind wing...?

The chrysalis is a female and the males are mating the female in the chrysalis! There are some other Heliconius with this strange habit (H. charitonia). Do not ask me how the find out that in the chrysalis is a female and not a male. So you got an excellent shot of a real male mating competition!! Congrats for this spotting!