Mcclungia cymo

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked): Rhopalocera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Nymphalidae
Tribe: Ithomiini
Genus: Mcclungia
Species: cymo

Panacea prola Doubleday [1848]

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphaliae
Subfamily: BIBLIDINAE
Tribe: AGERONIINI
Genus: Panacea
Specific name: prola - Doubleday [1848]
Scientific name: - Panacea prola Doubleday [1848]

Introduction:
The genus Panacea contains 3 known species, all confined to the neotropics.

The underside hindwings of all Panacea species are reddish. In P. procilla the hue is dull reddish brown, overlaid with broken wavy black lines and a series of submarginal ocelli. In regina the underside is red, with a suffused pattern of blackish markings.

The species featured here - Panacea prola, is smaller than regina and has a bright red underside that is devoid of markings. The iridescent bands on the upperside appear as a highly reflective pale turquoise when viewed from directly above in bright sunlight. In overcast conditions, when viewed at certain angles, the colour changes to a beautiful shade of sky blue.

Panacea prola is found throughout much of South America, from Colombia to southern Brazil but is more abundant in the foothills of the eastern Peruvian Andes than anywhere else.

Habitats:
This species appears to be confined to rainforest and transitional cloudforest, at altitudes below about 1000m. It becomes increasingly abundant at lower altitudes, and can be extremely common below 500m in certain areas, e.g. in the forests of the Manu in southern Peru.

Lifecycle:
Surprisingly the lifecycle and larval foodplants of this common butterfly are apparently unknown.

Adult behaviour:
The butterflies roost amongst foliage high in the forest canopy. In the early morning they can be seen basking on tree trunks at a height of about 10-15 metres, head downwards, with wings flattened against the bark of the tree.
As temperatures begin to climb and light levels increase, they gradually descend to bask at lower points on the trunk, but will fly back to bask much higher up if disturbed. Later, even the weather remains cool and overcast, they descend to settle on riverbanks, often settling on rocks, stones, or logs. Once the butterflies have been on the ground for a few minutes they become very reluctant to move, and will remain basking until dusk, even during light showers or drizzle.

Hypothyris antea atagalpa

Metazoa (kingdom)
Eumetazoa (no rank)
Bilateria (no rank)
Coelomata (no rank)
Protostomia (no rank)
Panarthropoda (no rank)
Arthropoda (phylum)
Mandibulata (no rank)
Pancrustacea (no rank)
Hexapoda (superclass)
Insecta (class)
Dicondylia (no rank)
Pterygota (no rank)
Neoptera (subclass)
Endopterygota (infraclass)
Amphiesmenoptera (superorder)
Lepidoptera (order)
Glossata (suborder)
Neolepidoptera (infraorder)
Heteroneura (parvorder)
Ditrysia (no rank)
Obtectomera (no rank)
Papilionoidea (superfamily)
Nymphalidae (family)
Danainae (subfamily)
Ithomiini (tribe)
Napeogenina (subtribe)
Hypothyris (genus)
Hypothyris antea (species)
Hypothyris antea atagalpa (subspecies)

Argia oculata - Hagen in Selys, 1865

Foto tomada en la quebrada de "María la O", Cerro la Copa, Montalbán Carabobo....

La cópula de los Odonatos del suborden "Zygoptera", es uno de los comportamientos más peculiares de todo el reino animal. Ésta, empieza por el "agarre" por parte del macho de una hembra; la abraza con sus cercoides (apéndices prensiles situados al final de su cuerpo) por el cuello. A continuación, el macho pasa su esperma del extremo de su cuerpo, donde los crea, a una concavidad situada al principio de su abdomen; la hembra se dobla hasta introducir su órgano sexual en dicha concavidad donde el macho ha alojado sus espermatozoos produciéndose la inseminación. Esta postura ha dado lugar al símbolo que los humanos utilizamos para representar al "corazón"... ¿Curioso, no?...

Para aquellos que ya conocen sobre Zygopteros, quiero aclarar que la especie "Argia oculata" (en la foto), no presenta diformismo sexual en coloración (ó es tan leve que no llega a notarse a simple vista). Así que puedo asegurarles que no se trata de dos "machos" (afortunadamente, je je je...).

Saludos

JL

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Suborder:	Zygoptera
Family:	Coenagrionidae
Genus:	Argia
Species:	A. oculata - Hagen in Selys, 1865

Rothschildia lebeau

Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class: Insecta (Insects)
Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
No Taxon: (Moths)
Superfamily: Bombycoidea
Family: Saturniidae (Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths)
Subfamily: Saturniinae (Silkmoths)
Tribe: Attacini
Genus: Rothschildia
Species: Lebeau (Guérin-Méneville, 1868)

IDENTIFICATION:
Identification: Wings are reddish brown with an olive tinge. Upperside of forewing has large clear spots that touch or pass through the postmedian band. Postmedian band on each wing is irregular with a narrow white band.

LIFECICLE:
Adults emerge in the early evening, and mating occurs from about 10 PM to midnight. Egg-laying begins the following evening and continues over several nights, with the females laying eggs in rows of 3-6 on the host plants. Young caterpillars feed in groups while older ones are solitary feeders. The cocoon hangs on a twig during the winter, attached by a strong silken stem.

Caterpillar hosts: A wide range of native and introduced plants including lime prickly ash (Zanthoxylum fagara), Mexican ash (Fraxinus berlandieriana), willow (Salix), peach (Prunus persica), citrus (Citrus), and acacia (Acacia).

Adult food:Adults do not feed.

Brangas Coccineifrons

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Brangas
Species: Coccineifrons

Brangas caranus

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Brangas
Species: caranus

Consul fabius cecrops (Doubleday, 1849)- Tiger-striped Leafwing

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Consul
Species: fabius
Sub-Species: cecrops


Size Wingspan: 30 to 40 mm. Sexes similar.

Identification: At the apex of the forewing is a light yellow stain. The costal margin above the discal area and even the marginal area is a yellow transverse band. Basal area including part of discal cell and up to around an orange stripe. The apex of the wing is falcate. Hind wing orange, with the distal margin below the apex, dark brown with four yellow spots.

Range: Mexico to Bolivia

Catasticta (Catasticta) flisa viloriai Bollino & M. Costa, 2007

Familia: Pieridae
Subfamilia: Pierinae
Tribus: Pierini
Subtribus: Aporiina
Genus: Catasticta
Subgenus: Catasticta (Catasticta)
Species: Catasticta (Catasticta) flisa
Subspecies: Catasticta (Catasticta) flisa viloriai

Chiomara georgina

Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class: Insecta (Insects)
Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily: Hesperioidea (Skippers)
Family: Hesperiidae (Skippers)
Subfamily: Pyrginae (Spread-wing Skippers)
Genus: Chiomara
Species: georgina (White-patched Skipper)
Synonym:Chiomara (asychis) simon

Identification:
Each hindwing is brown with a large white patch in the center. The leading edge of the forewing is slightly bent or sickle-shaped. Males have a distinct white patch in the forewing, females' forewings are more mottled. Underside of hindwing is mostly white.

Range:
Argentina north to southern Texas and the West Indies, with strays further north as far as Kansas, Nevada, and southern Arizona.

Habitat:
gardens, clearings, edges

Season:
Year-round. Vagrants north of the usual range are most common in late summer and autumn.

Food:
Adults are nectarivores. Larvae feed on foliage of Malphigiaceae including Barbados Cherry (Malphigia glabra) and Gaudichaudia pentandra.

Life Cycle:
Larvae create nests by webbing leaves together.

Make: Canon
Model: Canon PowerShot SX110 IS
Software: GIMP 2.4.3
Exposure Time: 1/403
F-Stop: f/3.5
ISO Speed Ratings: 100
Focal Length: 11500/1000 mm
Date Taken: 2010-07-10 09:15
Metering Mode: Center Weighted Average
Flash: Flash did not fire
File Size: 189 kb

Pythonides proxenus Godman & Salvin 1895

Kingdom: Animalia - animals
Phylum: Arthropoda - Arthropods
Class: Insecta - Insects
Order: Lepidoptera - Butterflies and Moths
Family: Hesperioidea
Genus: Pythonides
Scientific name: - Pythonides proxenus Godman & Salvin 1895

Hypna clytemnestra CRAMER, 1777

Hypna clytemnestra CRAMER, 1777
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - CHARAXINAE
Tribe - ANAEINI

Introduction:
The genus Hypna contains just one species.

The upperside is black, with broad creamy white bands across the forewings. Like most members of the Charaxinae, it has a cryptic underside pattern, resembling a dead withered leaf.

Hypna clytemnestra occurs from Mexico to Argentina.

Habitats:
This species is found in the Amazonian lowlands and Andean foothills, at altitudes between about 100-1200m.

Lifecycle:
The eggs are globular, and laid singly on the foliage of Croton ( Euphorbiaceae ).

The fully grown caterpillar is pale brown, with a prominent thoracic hump, and has reddish tubercules along the back, from which long black setae arise.

Adult behaviour
The butterfly is uncommon, and always encountered singly. It appears to spend most of it's life high in the trees, and can usually only be observed from a distance through binoculars. Occasionally a butterfly will descend however, attracted by rotting fruit or sap runs, and at such times it often first settles on nearby foliage.

Make: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
Model: SP565UZ
Software: GIMP 2.4.3
Exposure Time: 10/2000 sec
F-Stop: f/3.5
ISO Speed Ratings: 64
Focal Length: 977/100 mm
Date Taken: 2010-10-02 11:56
Metering Mode: Spot
Flash: Flash did not fire
File Size: 269 kb

Siproeta epaphus

Siproeta epaphus LATREILLE, 1813
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - NYMPHALINAE
Tribe - VICTORINIINI

Introduction:
The Kallimini includes some of the most colourful and instantly recognisable species in the world. Amongst them the African genera Precis ( Pansies ) and Salamis ( Mother of Pearl butterflies ), and the Asian Kallima ( Dead Leaf butterflies ).

In the neotropics the tribe is represented by the genera Anartia, Junonia, Hypolimnas, Metamorpha, Napeocles and Siproeta.

The genus Siproeta comprises of 3 species - the Malachite stelenes, the green-banded superba, and the Rusty-tipped Page epaphus. All are large butterflies, with wingspans averaging 10 cms.

Siproeta epaphus occurs throughout Central America from Mexico to Panama, and in South America occurs in Venezuela, Trinidad, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru.

Habitats:
This species is scarce in lowland areas, but commonly seen in two's and three's in disturbed habitats at elevations between 400-2000 metres, favouring forest edges, roadsides, cattle pastures, and well vegetated riverbanks..

Lifecycle:
The eggs are dark green with yellow ribs, and laid in small clusters on the leaves of the foodplant.

The fully grown larva is maroon, adorned with orange branched spikes along the back and sides. The head is black with a pair of backward-curving horns. The larvae feed on the foliage of Ruellia or Blechum ( Acanthaceae ).

The chrysalis is pale green, with the thorax and abdomen covered in minute black dots, and is suspended by the cremaster from stems of the foodplant.

Adult behaviour
The butterflies are usually encountered in two's and three's, flying on sunny mornings in open situations, but can also be found in hazy or misty conditions, basking on foliage or bare ground.

They have a rapid fluttering and gliding flight, and commonly visit flowers in pastures, along forest edges, and along roadsides. Males often imbibe mineralised moisture from damp roads, muddy riverbanks, scree or rock faces, and at such times usually hold their wings half-open while flitting gently from spot to spot.

Make: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
Model: SP565UZ
Software: GIMP 2.4.3
Exposure Time: 10/2500 sec
F-Stop: f/5.6
ISO Speed Ratings: 100
Focal Length: 3501/100 mm
Date Taken: 2010-10-02 13:14
Metering Mode: Spot
Flash: Flash did not fire
File Size: 297 kb