Doris longwings stand out among Heliconius butterflies for their remarkable hindwing polymorphism, flashing electric blue, vivid red, or rare green ray patterns across different individuals in the same rainforest. Unlike most of their relatives that lay solitary eggs, females deposit large clusters on host vines, producing dense broods of social caterpillars that feed side by side. Adults actively collect and digest pollen alongside nectar, extracting amino acids that sustain continuous egg production and an unusually long adult lifespan.
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