butterfly "Heliconius tristero"

[Heikki Raudaskoski]

"Remarks

The name 'Tristero' derives from Thomas Pynchon's novel, The Crying of
Lot 49, and refers to a shadowy Renaissance cult figure that inspired a
secret, independent postal system in modern suburban California. Because
the red forewing patch pattern is referred to as 'postman' (Emsley, 1963),
tristero seemed an appropriate name for a species that has emulated the
local erato-melpomene mimicry complex so effectively that it has remained
undetected until now."

www.butterfliesofamerica.com/docs/tristero1996.pdf


Heikki