Heliconius Butterfly Specimen Collection with Images and Locality Data

A subset of collection records from Chris Jiggins' research group at the University of Cambridge, covering nearly 20 years of field studies. This subset contains approximately 36,189 RGB images of 11,962 specimens, with many records having both images and locality data. The dataset was authored by imageomics and last updated on the platform in October 2025.

Use Cases

• Train image classification models for Heliconius butterfly species based on the RGB specimen images.
• Conduct morphological analysis of butterfly specimens using the collection's image data.
• Perform ecological niche modeling by correlating specimen images with the available locality data.
• Study phenotypic variation and evolution within the Heliconius genus using the multi-year collection records.

Strengths

• Contains approximately 36,189 RGB images, providing a substantial visual resource.
• Covers nearly 20 years of field studies, suggesting longitudinal depth.
• Many records combine both images and locality data, enabling multimodal analysis.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

Chris Jiggins' research group at the University of Cambridge.

Collection Method

Field studies and specimen collection.

Time Range

Covers nearly 20 years (specific start and end years not provided).

Freshness

Last updated 2025-10-01 20:42:20; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Locality data is mentioned for many records, but specific geographic coverage is not detailed.