“Heliconius erato”

‘So, these all belong to the same species? Not genus?’

‘Yes. They vary remarkably in pigmentation and form – but their general anatomy is the same. In fact, they’re 99.5% genetically identical.’

‘So then why aren’t they more dispersed? If they have the capacity to intermix, why are they more or less geographically contained?’

‘Well, that’s the phenomenon. The minute discrepancies seem to be sufficient to trigger behaviours of territorial aggression.’

‘All over that 0.5% difference?’

‘Well, it is a primitive species.’


Photo Credit: Lily M (Małgorzata Miłaszewska)