19 June 2026
Species in the Heliconius genus are among the longest-lived butterflies, thanks to a diet of pollen.
Pollen grains coat the proboscis of a Heliconius butterfly. Credit: Louise Bestea
Most tropical butterflies survive in their colourful adult forms for just a few weeks — the epitome of ephemeral beauty — but one group has evolved to live much longer. Jessica Foley at the University of Bristol, UK, and her colleagues studied the Heliconius butterfly genus, which 12 million–18 million years ago began adding pollen to butterflies’ typical nectar diet. Pollen provides the adults with nutrients that they can use to keep their bodies working longer and allows for prolonged reproduction. Data collated from published field studies and public butterfly houses show that at least one pollen-eating Heliconius hewitsoni individual lived to the venerable age of 348 days.
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