A Nature Communications study found some Heliconius butterflies delay physiological decline and can live up to 348 days as adults, far beyond the 14-day lifespan seen in Dione juno.
Across 28 Heliconius species, pollen-feeding butterflies generally lived longer, but lab tests showed they still outlived non-pollen relatives even when pollen was removed, pointing to evolved longevity mechanisms beyond diet.
Grip-strength tests using the “Pullinator” showed Heliconius hecale—whose lifespan reaches 277 days—kept body mass and muscle function with little age-related decline, unlike 98-day Dryas iulia.
Researchers said the still-unknown mechanisms could make Heliconius a useful insect model for studying healthy aging, alongside evidence that their pollen diet also extends reproductive lifespan through continued egg production.