Names (and other subjects)

[Chris J. Durden]

At 10:04  11/06/99 -0400, you wrote:
>According to Paul Opler's BUTTERFLIES EAST OF THE GREAT PLAINS, 
>Heliconius "is derived from Helicon, a mountain in Bocotia devoted to 
>Appolon and the muses."  charitonius "is derived from Charities, the 
>three graces or goddesses of beauty."  I see no indication that this 
>would refer to a stripy or "zebroid" creature. 
>
>

  As with most Greek there are several possible translations. The one I
would favor for *Heliconius charithonius* is "Sun-dusted one of graceful
aspect". This is probably the name of the mountain in Boeotia too. I think
Kluk would have been as familiar with Greek as Latin. Note that the first
spelling of this species was *charithonius* not the subsequent misspelling
*charitonius*.
.........Chris Durden