Jean-Pierre Vesco's Heliconius hybrids

From: JPVesco@...
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2001 16:24:53 EST
Subject: Re: Heliconius hybrids
To: J.Mallet@...

Dear James,

I am very interested by your project and web-site, and I shall try to help you.

About Heliconius hybridisation, all were obtained in a little greenhouse (100sq meters), and were spontaneous : no tentative of artificial hand-pairing.

I have a very polymorphic melpomene population captive bred for 10 years, resulting from various crosses between different races (French Guiana, Costa Rica, Ecuador).

A few years ago, I introduced a new species from Costa Rica : H. cydno. Only one female flew correctly and immediately a male melpomene had paired it, and I could obtain 5 hybrids (3 different patterns due to the great genetic variability of melpomene, I obtained a population of melpomene with white spots (colour unknown in melpomene).

Last year I obtained hecale X atthis hybrids and back-cross with hecale, and more surprisingly a fertile pairing of this hybrid whith a female melpomene. Of course the children are very curious, and sucessfully paired with melpomene.

I have taken some pictures and can duplicate them if you are interested.

Best wishes
J Pierre Vesco



From: JPVesco@...
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 02:10:00 EST
Subject: Re: Heliconius hybrids
To: J.Mallet@...

Dear James

... regarding the hybrid[ization] with cydno, when I speak about the white spot, it is only for the large spot on the anterior wing, and not on the posterior, because the race used, is from Costa rica whith only one big spot and nothing on the posterior.

The hecale used are from Costa Rica (zuleika).

sincerely yours
jp vesco



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