Various lifestages of the butterfly Melanitis phedima polishana
- family Nymphalidae, wingspan of up to 7.5 cm, found throughout East and SE Asia, larvae feed on grass. (note the small ant mimic jumping spider talking to the caterpillar in the 2nd picture).
An enraged Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia) butterfly, family Nymphalidae, faces down the photographer before insulting his mother and cultural heritage.
(photo: Juri Kowski)
Common Bush Hopper (Ampittia dioscorides)
Also known as the bush hopper, the common bush hopper is a species of skipper buttefly found throughout India and parts of Asia. Like most butterflies the bush hopper feeds almost exclusively on nectar which it finds on flowers and other plants. Also like all skippers the common bush hopper flies in a unique “skipping” pattern.
Phylogeny
Animalia-Arthropoda-Insecta-Lepidoptera-Hesperiidae-Ampittia-dioscorides
Cheers to butterfly conservation!
The Oregon silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene hippolyta) once flourished in beach communities along the West Coast, but due to habitat loss they are found now in only a handful of protected areas, many of which are within the boundaries of the Siuslaw National Forest. Read about how local, state, and federal agencies are collaborating to bring the silverspot back from the brink: http://1.usa.gov/10gzbs8
Photo credit: U.S. Forest Service
(via: USFWS_Pacific Region)
oculi-ds: Glanville Fritillary (Melitaea cinxia), Germany
(photo by *mescamesh)
insectlove:mattcoors: Fiery Skipper (Hylephila Phileus)
Seen on April 11, 2013, in downtown San Diego, CA, USA
Lesser Batwing (Atrophaneura aidoneus) is a member of the family papilionidae from Australasia. Atrophaneura aidoneus is black and has a wingspan of about 9–12 cm. The body has a red haircoat and females are dark-brown or black. The veins are bordered by white or yellow colour.
Photo credit: © Peter Smetacek
Caterpillars
plate 24 fromHistoire naturelle de la France: Papillons. (1884).12e Partie. Jean Étienne Bercé.
(via: Vintage Printable)
THIS MOTHERFUCKER, Monarch butterfly caterpillar (Danaus plexipus), ate all the leaves off of my Mexican Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica). Though most of the year’s last brood in the United States migrate to Mexico to overwinter, with our mild winters in Houston, we get caterpillars throughout the year.
Caterpillar ID
After an hour or more of searching, I’m giving up. Could you use your superpowers to ID this? Photographed in Santa Catarina, Brazil.
And while we’re at it, do you have recommendations for websites/databases to help with IDing animals? Insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians, etc.
Paxon:
This took more time for me than usual. I was able to get it down to the family, but I was flummoxed by what species it could be. It turns out that there aren’t a lot of online sources with photos of Brazilian caterpillars. For once, I had to confer with an expert, and he suggested the Orion Butterfly (Historis odius). Your specimen is probably an unusually red early instar.
http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Amazon%20-%20Historis%20odius.htm
http://benthamshouse.blogspot.com/2009/10/orion-historis-odius.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Historis_odius.jpg
As far as recommendations, it really depends on what you’re looking for. Honestly, it always helps to already have a background in what you’re looking to ID.
tropical metalmark butterfly (Rhetus periander), family Riodinidae, Parque Nacional Yasuni, Ecuador
(photo: Geoff Gallice)
Bee Butterfly (Chorinea octauius), family Riodinidae, Guyana
(photo: Jean-Yves Gallard)
Bee Butterfly (Chorinea sylphina), family Riodinidae, Las Jungas, Bolivia
(photo: Kolby Kirk)
Cell-barred Metalmark (Mesene phareus), family Riodinidae, Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
(photo: David Reed)
Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon), Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area, Orange County, FL, USA
(photo: Mary Keim)
