Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class: Insecta (Insects)
Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily: Papilionoidea (Butterflies (excluding skippers))
Family: Lycaenidae (Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters)
Subfamily: Theclinae (Hairstreaks)
Genus: Strymon
Species: istapa (Mallow Scrub Hairstreak)
Other Common Names:
Modest Hairstreak
Columella Hairstreak
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes:
Strymon columella modesta
Identification:
Underwing gray with 2 black spots near base of HW, prominent postmedian band, and short tails. Male has a dark patch on dorsal side of each FW. Florida individuals more boldly marked than ones in Texas. Compare with Disguised Hairstreak (S. limenia).
ingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Subfamily: Pierinae
Genus: Ascia
Species: A. monuste
Binomial name: Ascia monuste (Linnaeus, 1764)
The Great Southern White (Ascia monuste) is a species of butterfly of the Pieridae family in which the sexes differ in that the female can be either light or dark colored. It is found from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, south through tropical America to Argentina. Migratory along the south-eastern coast of the United States, with strays to Maryland, Kansas and Colorado.
The wingspan is 63-86 mm. Adults are on wing all year round in southern Texas, peninsular Florida and along the Gulf Coast.
Ascia monuste is an example of a migrating species which moves in one direction within its life-span and does not return. It breeds in Florida but sometimes migrates along the coast up to 160 kilometers to breed in more suitable areas.
The larvae feed on Brassicaceae (including Cakile maritima, cultivated cabbage and radish and Lepidium species) and plants in the Capparidaceae family, including nasturtium. Adults feed on nectar from various flowers including saltwort, lantana and verbena. It is a sporadic pest of crucifer vegetables in southern Texas.
Kingdom: Animalia
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Euptoieta
Species: E. hegesia
Binomial name: Euptoieta hegesia (Cramer, 1779)
Description: The upper side of the wings is bright orange with the basal part of the hind wing unmarked. There is a row of submarginal black spots on both the fore wing and the hind wing. The underside of the wings is yellow-orange with no submarginal black spots. It has a wingspan of 2.5 to 3 inches.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked): Rhopalocera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Lycaenidae (Leach, 1815)
Genus: Strymon
Species: albata (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865)
Some information about this family:
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 40% of the known butterfly species.
The family is traditionally divided into the subfamilies of the blues (Polyommatinae), the coppers (Lycaeninae), the hairstreaks (Theclinae) and the harvesters (Miletinae); others include the Lipteninae, Liphyrinae, Curetinae and Poritiinae. A few authorities still include the family Riodinidae within the Lycaenidae. The monotypic former subfamily Styginae represented by Styx infernalis from the Peruvian Andes has been placed within the subfamily Euselasiinae of the family Riodinidae.
Adults are small, under 5 cm usually, and brightly coloured, sometimes with a metallic gloss. The male's forelegs are reduced in size and lack claws.
Larvae are often flattened rather than cylindrical, with glands that may produce secretions that attract and subdue ants. Their cuticles tend to be thickened. Some larva are capable of producing vibrations and low sounds that are transmitted through the substrates they inhabit. They use these sounds to communicate with ants.
Adult individuals often have hairy antenna-like tails complete with black and white annulated appearance. Many species also have a spot at the base of the tail and some turn around upon landing to confuse potential predators from recognizing the true head orientation. This causes predators to approach from the true head end resulting in early visual detection.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Tribe: Troidini
Genus: Parides
Species: P. sesostris
Binomial name: Parides sesostris (Cramer, 1779)
Introduction: Parides, and the related genera Battus and Euryades are not true Swallowtails, but are members of the Troidini, the same tribe to which the giant Ornithoptera Birdwings of Papua New Guinea belong.
There are 34 members of the genus Parides, all of which are confined to tropical and sub-tropical areas of Central and South America. They are characterised by having elongated blackish forewings, marked on the males of most species with brilliant patches of turquoise or lime green, and on the females with cream. The hindwings in most species are marked with bright pink patches, and are generally rounded and without tails, but with a scalloped outer margin.
There are exceptions to these general rules, e.g. Parides hahneli which has a series of broad transparent bands across the forewings, and long tails on the hindwings. Another exception is Parides quadratus which has black forewings and large golden patches on the hindwings, and is very reminiscent of the Troides Birdwings of tropical Asia.
Parides sesostris is a common species found from Mexico to Bolivia.
Habitats: This species occurs primarily in primary rainforest, at altitudes between sea level and about 1200m. There are small populations on the western slopes of the Andes, but it is much more frequent on the eastern slopes and in the Amazon basin.
Lifecycle: The eggs are globular, and laid singly on the leaves of young Aristolochia plants.
The caterpillar when fully grown is mottled in dull ochreous with blackish spotting. The tubercles are dark reddish brown, except those on segments 8 and 11, which are white.
The pupa is bright lime green, flushed with pale yellow on the wing cases.
Adult behaviour: The butterflies are usually encountered along forest edges, and where light gaps occur at the intersections of trails. Both sexes visit flowers on sunny mornings, and males occasionally mud-puddle on riverbanks, but most sightings are of males in flight or basking on foliage.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked): Rhopalocera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Tribe: Victorinini
Genus: Siproeta
Species: S. stelenes
Binomial name: Siproeta epaphus - LATREILLE, 1813
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.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Genus: Melete
Specific name: Melete lycimnia)
Introduction: The Pieridae is divided into 3 subfamilies. The Dismorphiinae, with a very small number of exceptions, is entirely neotropical in distribution. The Coliadinae ( Sulphurs and Yellows ) and Pierinae ( Whites and Orange tips ) however have worldwide distribution.
There are 217 members of the Pierinae in the neotropical region. These include familiar Holarctic
( Eurasian and North American ) genera such as Pieris, Pontia and Anthocharis, and others such as Pereute, Catasticta and Melete which are found only in Central and South America.
The genus Melete contains 6 species, characterised by having a black bar at the end of the forewing discal cell, a black fw apex, and in most species a dark border to the hind-wings. Apart from these markings the wings are usually a unicolorous yellow or white.
Melete lycimnia occurs in several geographical forms. On the underside, subspecies peruviana has a white ground colour, narrow black borders, and a yellow spot at the base of the hindwings. At the other extreme the nominate subspecies lycimnia has the underside hindwings primrose yellow, with wide brown borders. In all subspecies the females are more yellowish in colouration than the males
Habitats: This is a lowland rainforest species, occurring at elevations between sea level and about 800m.
Adult behaviour:
Males are a regular sight along forest edge habitats on the banks of rivers, and at roadsides, where they gather to imbibe mineral-laden moisture from sand or mud. They often congregate in dense clusters of 50 or more butterflies, packed very tightly together, which erupt nervously into flight if disturbed.
Females are not in my experience seen in such open situations, staying instead in the forest interior. They do not visit flowers in the understorey, or along forest roads, so presumably feed at the nectar of arboreal flowers. Their flight is direct and fairly rapid, interrupted by long periods at rest on foliage in the sub canopy.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked): Rhopalocera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Tribe: Victorinini
Genus: Siproeta
Species: S. stelenes
Binomial name: Siproeta stelenes (Linnaeus, 1758)
Introduction: 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.
The beautiful Malachite is distributed from Florida and Texas, south to Peru, Argentina and Bolivia. The butterflies look particularly beautiful when seen at rest, with sunshine streaming through the translucent green windows on the wings.
Some workers consider stelenes to be a Batesian mimic of the Heliconiine Philaethria dido. The 2 species generally occupy different habitats, but their avian predators probably encounter both species fairly regularly, so the theory may have some basis.
Habitats: This is a widespread and common species found in a wide variety of habitats including lowland primary rainforest, mid-elevation cloudforest and deciduous forests, usually in the vicinity of rivers at altitudes between about 100-1200m. It is probably most commonly seen in secondary habitats, including orchards and gardens.
Lifecycle: The eggs are dark green, and laid singly on leaves of Ruellia, Justicia or Blechum, all members of the Acanthaceae. Females tend to patrol back and forth along a limited stretch of habitat, dotting their eggs about fairly randomly.
The fully grown caterpillar is dark olive in colour, with a series of whorled spikes along the back and sides. Those on the back are reddish.
The chrysalis is pale green, with the thorax and abdomen covered in minute black dots, and is suspended by the long cremaster from stems of the foodplant.
Adult behaviour: The adults nectar at Lantana and other flowers, and also feed at fallen fruit, carrion and dung. I have seen groups of Malachites feeding on decaying fallen mangos in Costa Rica, and imbibing from gravel and tarmac roads in Peru and the Venezuelan Andes. They are usually seen flying in open sunlit areas, but I have on several occasions found them roosting beneath leaves deep in primary forest.
Reino: Animalia
Filo: Arthropoda
Clase: Insecta
Orden: Lepidoptera
Familia: Nymphalidae
Subfamilia: Danainae
Tribu: Danaini
Subtribu: Danaina
Género: Danaus -Kluk, 1802
Especie: D. plexippus
Nombre binomial: Danaus plexippus - Linnaeus, 1758
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Infraclass: Palaeoptera
Order: Odonata Fabricius, 1793
Suborder: Anisoptera Selys, 1854
Family: Libellulidae
Genus: Erythrodiplax Brauer, 1868
Species: Erythrodiplax fusca (Rambur, 1842)
Common name: Red-faced Dragonfly
Description: Female size 2.3 to 3.2 cm and the male 2.5 to 3.4 cm. The male has dark brown head, red face. Thorax black dorsally, blue laterally greyish. Forewing with a small dark brown spot at the base of the wing, hind wings also have a dark brown spot of greater length. Most of the gray-blue abdomen, last three segments black. Fences whitish. The female has brown eyes, forehead and clypeus brown. Thorax brown. Spotted wings similar to those of male but yellowish brown. Abdomen brown.
The males of this species show territoriality. Perch near the water (15 to 20 cm), if it is sunny are very active and often can be pursued if clouds rest.
Copulation lasts about a minute and occurs on vegetation. Females oviposit alone, but the male flies by her watching. The eggs are laid touching the water with the tip of the abdomen repeatedly.
It lives in ponds and swamps in open areas such as pastures and other disturbed areas. It is a common species.
