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Mila'sExotic Plants & CuriositiesA living collection by Luminary OdditiesLuminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Macrosoma heliconiaria
Lepidoptera / Hedylidae
Macrosoma heliconiaria is a nocturnal butterfly with mottled brown wings and ultrasound-sensitive ears at the forewing bases.
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Macrosoma heliconiaria belongs to Hedylidae, a butterfly family within Papilionoidea. Guenée described it in 1858. [1]
The wings are grey-brown, with a white triangular mark along the forewing's leading edge and a translucent central area on the hindwing. The abdomen is slender. [2]
Guanacaste larvae rest along leaf midribs and chew irregular holes. In local rearings, pupae produced adults after approximately 10–15 days. [2]
Larvae in the Guanacaste inventory feed on Apeiba membranacea, a tropical tree in Malvaceae. [2]
Adults are active at night and are attracted to lights. [2]
A hearing organ lies at the base of each forewing. Modified veins support a tympanal membrane connected to three chordotonal sensory organs. Electrophysiological measurements found sensitivity strongest across approximately 40–80 kHz, within the ultrasonic range. [3]
In flight experiments, ultrasound elicited rapid, unpredictable changes of direction. The response supports an anti-bat role for hearing in this nocturnal butterfly. [3]
Butterflies of America · Accessed 2026-10-13
Área de Conservación Guanacaste · Accessed 2026-10-13
Smithsonian Research Online / Journal of Comparative Physiology A · Accessed 2026-10-13
Sources checked 2026-10-13. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
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