to humans when handled in order to deter predation. Additionally, H. melpomene butterflies render themselves unpalatable to predators such as birds by producing cyanogenic glycosides in both the larval and adult stages. These glycosides are incorporated into the insect's system by feeding on host plants that produce the compounds as a defense against herbivory. Communal roosting Individuals of the genus Heliconius form large communal roosts which they return to each night after foraging. The reason for this behavior was not well characterized until recently when it was determined that the large aggregations of butterflies provided protection from predators. Butterflies fare better in these groups for two reasons. First, the prey dilution effect lowers the likelihood that one particular individual will be eaten because of the large number of other individuals that are in the area. Second, the congregation of the brightly colored individuals is more likely to deter predators by making the warning coloration more prominent. Genetics Hybridization Due to its overlapping range with many closely related species, H. melpomene sometimes hybridizes in nature despite adaptations meant to counteract this. Females resulting from the cross of H. melpomene and H. cydno are sterile. While hybrid males are not sterile, they exhibit patterns that are intermediate between the crossed species and thus the males are unlikely to be recognized as mates by either species. Furthermore, the patterns on both sexes will be non-mimetic, meaning they will not be recognized by predators as displays of distaste. Therefore, the hybrids resulting from the cross of H. melpomene with other Heliconius species have low fitness and are not likely to persist.link does not provide access Subspecies Subspecies of H. melpomene include: H. m. aglaope (C. & R. Felder, 1862) H. m. amandus (Grose-Smith & Kirby, 1892) H. m. amaryllis (C. & R. Felder, 1862) H. m. cythera (Hewitson, 1869) H. m. euryades (Riffarth, 1900) H. m. malleti (Lamas, 1988) H. m. melpomene (Linnaeus, 1758) H. m. meriana (Turner, 1967) H. m. modesta (Riffarth, 1900) H. m. nanna (Stichel, 1899) H. m. penelope (Staudinger, 1894) H. m. plesseni (Riffarth, 1907) H. m. sticheli (Riffarth, 1907) H. m. rosina (Boisduval, 1870) H. m. thelxiope (Hübner, [1806]) H. m. unimaculata (Hewitson, 1869) H. m. vicinus (Ménétriés, 1847) H. m. vulcanus (Butler, 1865) H. m. xenoclea (Hewitson, [1853] Mating Mate searching When searching for mates, males of H. melpomene exhibit patrolling behavior, which involves searching for potential mates