Heliconius sara fulgidus (Fabricius 1793)

H. sara is found in second growth and forest edge habitats where it can find its host plant Passiflora auriculata. Larvae feed, moult and pupate in groups of 10-30. Engler, et. al. (2000) have found that H. sara larvae sequester the cyanogenic glycoside epivolkenin from the host plant without triggering cyanogenesis. They then enzymatically transform some of the epivolkenin to a different compound sarauriculatin. This process releases the nitrogen group from the epivolkenin, making N available as a nutrient. H. sara also produces aliphatic cyanogenic glycosides, perhaps using some of the nitrogen released from the epivolkenin transformation. Range: Mexico to the Amazon Basin.

Live measurements of cyanogenesis by actively feeding larvae confirm that no HCN gas is released as leaves are being chewed. This has also been observed in other species of Heliconius along with Dryas iulia.
H. sara adult Egg cluster on P. auriculata. At La Selva, H. sara is completely host specific to this relatively common plant. If eggs turn dark they have been parasitized by a micro-hymenopteran.
H. sara larvae feed and pupate gregariously. This one is newly moulted.  
3rd instar larvae 4th instar larvae
5th instar H. sara larvae feeding on P. pittieri leaves. Agelaia cajennensis wasp (Vespidae) cutting up H. sara larva and forming meat into a ball to carry back to the nest.
Pre-pupae New pupa on the left.
H. sara pupa H. sara pupa. note "horns" on anterior ("bottom" in this photo) that facilitate pupal mating