Bug FAQIsabella's Longwing
Eueides isabella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
Also called: Isabella's Heliconian
It lives in rainforest canopies from sea level up to roughly 1500 m and is distributed from Mexico through the Amazon basin to the West Indies. The caterpillars are white and black with long black spines, feed together on Passiflora platyloba and Passiflora ambigua, and adults are on the wing all year, even in low light.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The underside is similar but the hindwing edges have a series of small blue spots.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 65 to 90 mm (2.6 to 3.5 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in rainforest canopy. It can be found from sea level up to about 1500 m elevation.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars are white and black and covered with long black spines. They feed in groups on Passiflora platyloba and Passiflora ambigua.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing throughout the whole year in tropical habitats. They remain active even in low light conditions.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period extends year-round in the tropics.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range extends from Mexico through the Amazon basin and includes the West Indies.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be confused with Heliconius ismenius, the tiger heliconian. It can also be mistaken for Lycorea halia, the tiger mimic-queen.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars look like?
They are white and black with long black spines.
Source: Wikipedia
When are adult Isabella’s Longwings active?
Adults fly all year and are active even in low light.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find this butterfly?
It lives in rainforest canopies from sea level up to about 1500 m across Mexico, the Amazon basin, and the West Indies.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae feed on?
The larvae feed together on Passiflora platyloba and Passiflora ambigua.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eueides_isabella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.