page_title: Heliconiinae
section_title: Genera
hierarchical_section_title: Heliconiinae / Systematics / Genera
caption_attribution_description: Tawny Coster Acraea terpsicore adult
context_page_description: The Heliconiinae, commonly called heliconians or longwings, are a subfamily of the brush-footed butterflies. They can be divided into 45–50 genera and were sometimes treated as a separate family Heliconiidae within the Papilionoidea. The colouration is predominantly reddish and black, and though of varying wing shape, the forewings are always elongated tipwards, hence the common name.
  Most longwings are found in the Tropics, particularly in South America; only the Argynnini are quite diverse in the Holarctic. Especially tropical species feed on poisonous plants, characteristically Passifloraceae vines, as larvae, becoming poisonous themselves. The adult butterflies announce their acquired toxicity with strong aposematic colours, warning off would-be predators. There are several famous cases of Batesian and Müllerian mimicry both within this group and with other butterflies. Other commonly seen food plants are Fabaceae, and particularly among northerly species of Violaceae.
context_section_description: Genera are presented in the presumed phylogenetic sequence. Notable species are also given if no genus article exists.
  Acraeini Boisduval, 1833
  Abananote Potts, 1943
  Actinote Hübner, 1819
  Altinote Potts, 1943
  Acraea Fabricius, 1807 (paraphyletic)
  Bematistes Hemming, 1935
  Cethosia Fabricius, 1807 – lacewings
  Miyana Fruhstorfer, 1914 (tentatively placed here)
  Heliconiini Swainson, 1822
  Agraulis Boisduval & Le Conte, 1835
  Dione Hübner, 1819
  Dryadula Michner, 1942 – banded orange
  Dryas Hübner, [1807] – Julia heliconian
  Eueides Hübner, 1816
  Heliconius Kluk, 1780 – brush-foot butterflies
  Philaethria Billberg, 1820
  Podotricha Michener, 1942
  Vagrantini Pinratana & Eliot, 1996
  Lachnoptera Doubleday, 1847
  Phalanta Horsfield, 1829
  Smerina Hewitson, 1874
  Vindula Hemming, 1934 – cruisers
  Cirrochroa Doubleday, 1847
  Algiachroa Parsons, 1989
  Algia Herrich-Schäffer, 1864
  Terinos Boisduval, 1836
  Cupha Billberg, 1820
  Vagrans Hemming, 1934
  Argynnini Duponchel, 1835
  Euptoieta Doubleday 1848
  Pardopsis Trimen, 1887 (tentatively placed here)
  Yramea Reuss 1920
  Boloria Moore, 1900 (including Clossiana)
  Issoria Hübner 1819
  Brenthis Hübner 1819
  Argynnis Fabricius 1807
  Speyeria Scudder, 1872
  Fabriciana Reuss, 1920
caption: Well-known tawny coaster of the Acraeini presently goes by the scientific name Acraea terpsicore.
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