Pictures from the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory

This past Sunday I finally bought a digital camera. The wife and I were going to Key West for a few days on Monday & I didn't want to be without one. The following are some pictures I took with my new camera at the Key West Butterfly Conservatory.
As noted this was my first time using the camera. About half way through the pictures I made a second trip to the conservatory. The second half of the pictures are much better quality than the first half. So, where it seems the tour or pictures end, they do not. After a few text posts by DG members, the tour continues with my second visit.

pic #28 If you can identify any of the butterflies in the pictures, please do.

Enjoy 'em!
Art

#28 is a Blue Morpho ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a


This message was edited Dec 15, 2005 9:40 AM

Another picture #31.
Art

# 31 is a “Tree nymph.” or Rice Paper ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a



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Another butterfly #36. A Dark Blue Tiger. ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a



This message was edited Aug 28, 2005 5:26 AM

Those are beautiful! Looks like the camera is good one too.

Another butterfly with wings closed. #40 is an Owl Butterfly, ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a



This message was edited Aug 28, 2005 5:25 AM

It probably is decent. It's a 6.3 megapixel Vivitar and it was dirt cheap $189.

Here is butterfly #42. It's a Great Mormon (Papilio memnon) ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a



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This is butterfly pic #48. It is a female Tiger Pierid (Dismorphia amphione) ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a



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This guy would not stop flapping his wings. Looked like a hummer all the time. pic 56

# 56 is a male Carins Bird Wing ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a

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Picture #66 Is a Clipper. ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a

This message was edited Aug 27, 2005 9:43 PM

Last image for the day. #57 is a Ulysses. ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a
More shots tomorrow.
Art

This message was edited Oct 13, 2005 6:42 AM

Before I continue with the pictures I thought a little background from the conservatory would be in order.
It's located on the Atlantic Ocean side of Duval Street, just around the corner from the Southernmost point buoy (monument). Duval Street is the main "party" street of Key West. It's an easy walk from Mallory Square (Gulf of Mexico) side of Duval Street, where the daily cruise ships dock and each evening at sunset, everyone gathers to watch the sun sink into the Gulf of Mexico. More information and facts can be had from the Butterfly Conservatory web site at http://www.keywestbutterfly.com/conservatory.htm
Art

Beautiful pictures....lucky you!

The pictures continue. #37 the black one is a male Common Mormon (Papilio polytes) and the gray one is a Grey Pansy ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a



This message was edited Aug 28, 2005 5:31 AM

picture #39

# 39 is It's a Blue Clipper ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a


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picture #41

# 41 is a Brown Clipper ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a

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This pair of Pink Cattleheart was mating. picture #44 ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a


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picture #60

# 60 is Bird Wing ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a

This message was edited Aug 27, 2005 5:28 AM

Those are some truly lovely butterflies! My favorites are #39 and #42.....42 is spectacular!

-Julie

picture #64

# 64 is a Photinus (Parides photinus) ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a

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picture #51, which has been enlarged.

#51 is a Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a

This message was edited Aug 27, 2005 5:39 AM

Last shot #67. It's me with a butterfly on my shoulder (of course it's wings are closed) Well, my first trip out with my new camera. Lots to learn about the camera before I make my next trip to a butterfly conservatory. Did I mention Butterfly World, the world's largest butterfly conservatory is just about six miles North up I-95 from my house? Nope, never been there yet. Saving the first trip, which is usually the most memorable, for when I have all my priorities in order and I know how to work the camera better.
I should also mention I picked up cuttings of Nickerbean, Necklace bush, Coontie (palm?) and three unknown's, which is why I came to Dave's in the first place. To identify and help me grow plants I gather from cuttings I know nothing about.
Thanks for the comments!
Until the next time,
Art

Blue Morpho butterfly on my shoulder ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a

This message was edited Aug 27, 2005 5:58 AM

Great pics! You are going to love having the digital camera!! It's so great to be able to see the pics right when you take them. It does take some figuring out, especially on macro shots, but so worth it!

That place is beautiful. I was there back around last Thanksgiving. I stayed at the Avalon across the street or I never would have known it was even there! :)

Loved the pictures, Art. I can't believe how many beautiful butterflies they have there. Are you allowed to get close or must you stand back away from them? Thanks for the thread.

I'm not Art (lol), but in my experience there you aren't supposed to touch them, but they will land on you sometimes.

Ed & Eco, It's a three part journey. First you enter into a "history" area where there displays of the various types of butterflies and moths in their habitat. Then it shows various types in stages of development. The amazing part is when you are looking at the displays it's as you were looking at say, a historic glassed in document. However if you look long enough you see they are all alive. This as in all the other area's are double sealed with air locks. Then you enter the conservatory. It's a curved walk lined with trees, bushes, ferns waterfalls, fountains and observation area's where you can get off the walk to let others by. The butterflies & moths are free flying all around you. They bump into you, land on you, and many times make you duck! There are lots of 'em, everywhere, up, down, over and around you. If you are not careful, you can often step on them. This walk meanders through the place ending up at the area where they raise them. There are observation windows with various stages of a variety of butterflies and moths being raised by the technicians? (i didn't know what to call them). After that is of course, the traditional gift shop just filled with butterfly stuff. Really nice stuff though. Key West is loaded with artisans and many of the items were made in Key West.
I always enjoy my visits to Key West. The butterfly conservatory will add more to my trips in the future.
Art

On August 20 & 21 I again visited the Key West Butterfly Conservatory and took more pictures. As I go through them I will post pictures of butterflies and moths I missed the first time.

This is an Atlas moth.
Art

This is a Banded Orange Butterfly (dradula phasteusa)

This is a Emerald Swallowtail (papilio palinurus)

This is a Green Spotted Triangle or Tailed Jay (graphium agamemnom) I had taken many shots of these unusual green butterflies, but none showed the true green color. In the area where this shot was taken there was plenty of available natural light. I didn't have to use the flash. The colors are what they are supposed to be. I would like to add, I was actually taking a picture of a "trained" sea grape and this guy and a Emerald Swallowtail both happened to be in the picture. Since none of the other shots I had of this one showed it's true colors, I cropped this one out of the main picture and viola, here it is.

This message was edited Aug 28, 2005 5:41 AM

Thanks Art for telling me about this thread. Beautiful pictures; digital cameras are definately the way to go. I'm on my morning break at work so I'll quickly tell you the names of the butterflies I know. I'll have to look up their "proper names" when I'm home.

#28 is a Blue Morpho,
# 31 is a Wood Nymph or Rice Paper
# 40 in an Owl Butterfly, not a Blue Morpho. The photo of you with the butterfly is a Blue Morpho. Check out the difference.
# 56 is a male Carins Bird Wing
# 57 is a Blue Clipper and # 41 is a Brown Clipper
# 39 is a Blue Wave
# 60 is Bird Wing (not a Carins Bird Wing)
# 57 I think is a Ulysses as opposed to a Blue Morpho; I'll have to check that one.

#51 I think is a Red Lacewing, I should check that one too.
#37 and #44 I'm a little less sure about so will check those too, to be sure before I give you false info.
#42 & # 48 I have no idea, but I'll look in my books when I get home.

Time for my afternoon break. Here is a photo I took at Magic Wings in Mass. of a couple of Owl Butterflies with their wings open. Quite different from the Blue Morpho.

Here's one that's not so dark

Wow, that's a pretty butterfly. I love the colors.

Another picture from the new group of shots. This is 2-09

2-09 is a Birdwing; sometimes called a Golden Birdwing ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a

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Picture # 2-10

2-10 is a Sara (Heliconius sara) ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a

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Picture 2-11

2-11 is a Small Postman (Heliconius erato) ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a

This message was edited Aug 27, 2005 5:32 AM

Hi Art,
Hope all is well with you after Katrina. My nephew lives in Aventura and said they had a direct hit, but all is OK with them.

As far as the butterflies go:

2-09 is a Birdwing; sometimes called a Golden Birdwing (Troides rhadamanthus)

2-10 is a Sara (Heliconius sara)

2-11 is a Small Postman (Heliconius erato)

pajarito, thanks for your help with the ID's. I have a few more to sort out, but lost phone service until 7 PM tonight.
Doing just fine after the storm. Not much damage to anything, just a big mess of stuff everywhere to clean up.
No power but I have a generator which does a nice job keeping us in power and AC.

Thanks again,
Art

Hi Art, glad to hear you're OK.

You have me stumped on #44. Hard to pinpoint with just the undersides showing. It's similar to the Common Rose Swallowtail but yours doesn't have the tail. So my best guess is a cattleheart (Parides iphidamus) but I don't know what the underside looks like. But based on shape, the small white spots around the edges of the wings and the white on the upper wing, and red on bottom wings that's my guess.
All the rest I think I've got.
#36 is a Dark Blue Tiger
#37 the black one is a male Common Mormon (Papilio polytes) and the gray one is a Grey Pansy
#42 is a Great Mormon (Papilio memnon)
#48 is a female Tiger Pierid (Dismorphia amphione)
#51 is a Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)
#57 is definitely a Ulysses, not a Blue Morpho
# 64 is a Photinus (Parides photinus)

Did I get them all?