Postman Butterfly

This is either Heliconius erato or Heliconius melpomene which mimics all color forms of H. erato.
The Postman's forewings are black with a red band; hindwings are black with a pale yellow stripe. Males sit on the female chrysalis a day before emergence, and mating occurs the next morning before the female has completely emerged. All life stages of these butterflies are supposed to be unpalatable to vertebrates and they advertise this unpalatability with their red & black warning coloration. It is also thought that other "tastier" Heliconius species may mimic these butterflies as a protective defense against predators.