Pictures from the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory

pajarito, I only found 66 & the mating pair missing id's. I took the liberty of inserting the correct name and ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a on each picture you id. Have to give credit where credit is due. I hope you don't mind.

Thanks a lot for all your help.

If you have the time, I have a few more I am putting up this morning.

Thanks again, Art

Hi Art, I'd love to see more of your photos. #66 is a Clipper. Thanks for the credit; I certainly don't mind, but it's not necessary either. I just wanted to help you & others learn them.

This is a Tree Nymph or Rice Paper ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a This is the second picture of this butterfly. I included it because it was the best shot of several I made of this one. They appear to be a bit more nervous than the others. This is a composit shot showing it with its wings mostly open and with it's wings closed (which is the way I usually get it).

This is a composit shot of some kind of Lacewing. ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a





This message was edited Aug 28, 2005 5:23 AM

Here is a much better shot of a Brown Clipper. ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a

This message was edited Aug 27, 2005 9:42 PM

This is a shot of a Grey Pansy. ID supplied by pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a

This message was edited Aug 28, 2005 5:16 AM

This is 2-33 It's a Red Spotted Duke.

This message was edited Aug 28, 2005 5:14 AM

Hey Art, I was just looking over all your beautiful photos and realized I gave you the wrong name for #39. It's a Blue Clipper, NOT a Blue Wave. Sorry about that. Also on the new group you added, the one timed 9:39 PM is the Grey Pansy from #37, NOT the Common Mormon also in #37.
# 2-33 is a Red Spotted Duke
The "second composit of unknown butterfly" looks like some kind of Lacewing. It has the V-shaped white markings outlined in black along the wing margins that is characteristic of Lacewings.

I FOUND IT!!! #44 is the Pink Cattleheart

pajarito, thanks again for your help. I had problems uploading during the daylight hours yesterday. The trouble was probably on my end. With all the problems we are having after the storm. I will try more today.

Thanks again, Art

This is 2-38 # a Julia (Dryas iulia) ID supplied by ajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a


This message was edited Aug 28, 2005 7:18 PM

This is 2-40

This is 2-54

It's a Blue Clipper. The same as #39 above. This shot is with available light vs flash in #39. The colorations, although not perfect, are much better using available light.

Well, That's all folks. I hope you enjoyed the beautiful butterfly pictures as much as I did taking them.

A suggestion for you. If you have an occasion to visit one of the many butterfly conservatories located throughout the country and world, be sure you try to get as many shots with your camera using the available light if you can. If you are forced to use flash, step back a couple of feet. You can zoom in later when you are at home using your camera's editing software.

The blues and greens found in many butterflies doesn't capture well using flash, which is more bluish than the available light.

On this most recent trip I had the opportunity to speak to several of the many attendants available for you. One question I asked was about the air conditioning there. They maintain a constant 85 degrees to keep 'em happy and to create a slight breeze.

The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory is a terrific place. It has a great assortment of native and exotic plants, butterflies and moths. The butterflies & moths seem to be well taken care of. I didn't see any that appeared sickly looking. The staff is pleasant and watchfull of those that would injure the creatures or plants. It's well maintained and very creatively put together.

On this trip I was more interested in plant treatments and placements in their relationship to the extensive use of water throughout the atrium. Keeping in mind the size of the atrium, I found their use of water there more in what you could find or use in your yard rather than what you might see in a tropical jungle, which you couldn't use in your yard

If you decide to visit this conservatory, they have parking available in the back yard. Parking anywhere except your hotel in Key West is a problem.

This shot is of the building itself. It's taken from a small greenhouse in back looking down the driveway out to Duval street. You can see how high the atrium is in this shot.

Art

This is the last shot. One of the many interesting "Art" treatments I found there. This is an orchid tree. It's not really a tree, but is a novel way to display your orchids or other small potted plants you might have.

I would like to thank pajarito Concord, NH Zone 5a for her effort in identifying the many moths and butterflies you see pictured here.

This is a link to the Key West Butterfly Conservatory and Nature Center. http://www.keywestbutterfly.com/

Thanks for looking in.

Art


This message was edited Aug 28, 2005 7:23 PM

# 2-38 ia a Julia (Dryas iulia)

One correction:pajarito is a she.

pajarito, This shows you are indeed paying attention. Sorry about my assumption. No harm intended. I just write along what pops into my head and never gave a thought to gender.

Your help has been invaluable to the ID of these butterflies and moths. I wouldn't have even begun to ID them until my butterfly book is returned to me this week when our local garden club GT's.

Thanks again for all your help and patience with me.

Art

Believe me Art, no harm done. I found it humorous as pajarito is Spanish for little bird and I don't know too many men who would call themselves a little bird. In my case it's in reference to hummingbirds, which I love all most as much as butterflies.

I've enjoyed viewing your photos and not only have you challenged me on some of the identifications, I've seen and learned a couple of new species thanks to you.

I've never seen #2-40. It looks like it comes from the Heliconius species, but which one? The Postman and Piano Keys can vary so much within the exact species, but it definitely has the shape of the Heliconius'.

#2-54 looks like a Photinus to me, but not exactly so I'm not sure.

I hope you can find them all in your book when you get it back. I have found that different books do give different names to the same butterflies sometimes so it can be confusing.

I have some photos I'd like to share with you, but I too have been having trouble attaching them here. It may be because our computer is old and too slow. I'll try to send you a couple of my favorites tomorrow from work while I'm on my lunch break.

Great about your sending along some of your favorites.

On the id's, my book on butterflies came from Butterfly World. Our garden club visited there on Aug 19. I had occasion to speak to several attendents. They mentioned they use mostly imported butterflies via permit for each butterfly they bring in. They also have to register each butterfly they raise there and keep track from cradle to grave of each of them. Their book would probably have these butterflies in it since the book is about their attraction. I may get it back this Friday if we have our scheduled GT. The aftermath of the storm may make us cancel this gt. Better than one third of the area's that lost power in this county are still without power.

In your note above you mention Postman and Piano Keys. I don't remember your id of a Piano Keys butterfly here. I looked on the web and didn't find a picture of one.

Thanks again
Art

This ia a Peacock Pansy taken December 16, 2004 at Butterfly World in Coconut Creek, Fl.

This is a Maderia also from Butterfly World.

This one is a Red Rim

I haven't been able to identify this one yet, but I do think it's lovely.

And this is a nice one of a Birdwing

This is a nice one of a Rose Swallowtail, or Common Rose. You can also see a Pink Cattleheart in the background.

pajarito, Great shots of good looking butterflies. Thanks for sharing them with us.

If you visit this area again, you should try to see the conservatory at Key West. It's much smaller than Butterfly World, but they do a terrific job there.

I mentioned our local garden club does a lot of GT's. We visit many local nurseries, local tropical gardens, each other's house and gardens and other places and things of interest to gardeners.

It's a small group of three ladies and myself. We met on Dave's when one of them asked for a cutting of a plant I posted here. Since then we have been getting together about every two weeks galloping around South Florida doing our thing.

If you visit this area again, please let us know and we can arrange a gt around the time you will be here. You can join us in one of our local visits.

If you are interested in this type of local thingie, we began posting our "adventures" in the following two links. After these two links, each GT has a link to the next gt.

These links have lots of pictures of each of us and our gardens and the places we visit.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/525734/
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/527005/

I will leave you for this evening with a composit picture of butterflies you won't find at either the Key West Conservatory or Butterfly World. Pictured are Clerodendrum butterfly flower & Christa Butterfly plant. I hope you enjoy them. They are currently growing in my yard.

Thanks once again.
Art

Beautiful plants. The blue one (Clerodendrum butterfly flower I've seen before and wondered what it was. The Christa Butterfly plant is amazing.

Thank you for the invite to join you and your group for a GT. I'd love to but doubt I'll be getting to South FL any time soon. My sister's son and grandson live in Aventura and we were there the week before Christmas babysitting for my nephew and his wife. I think they are planning to move to Arizona once they can secure jobs; both are attorneys and took the Arizona Bar exam in July.

I want o show you some interesting butterflies I've managed to capture on film from Magic Wings in Deerfield, MA

This is a Question Mark (Polygonia interragationis)

This is a Glasswing (Greta oto). See how most of their wings are clear as glass. They can be hard to spot among the bushes and flowers.

Here is a Gray Cracker (Hamadryas februa).

This one is a Great Orange Tip (Hebomoia glaucippe).

This one is an Isabella Tiger Longwing (Eueides isabella)

Here are a couple of the Malachite (Siproeta stelenes), one of my favorite butterflies.

This shows the underside. The Malachite is next to the Sara (the black, blue and white one).

And here is the Malachite opened up.

Lastly I'll show you a Blue Wave also called a Blue Wing (Myscelia cyaniris). This photo doesn't show how blue they really look when the light hits them. Just like the Sara, they look black when not in the light.

This message was edited Aug 30, 2005 1:18 PM

I have the first one Question Mark (Polygonia interragationis) in my yard a lot. The problem is I only recognize it when it's at rest on a leaf or branch. When I get closer to take a picture it takes off.

The next one I saw at Butterfly World, but couldn't get a picture of it.

I had a problem that day with the heat and almost collapsed. While I was resting, I forgot I had the camera on my lap. When I got up it fell to the concrete. It was out of commission for the rest of the trip. I only took a few pictures at the beginning of the tour. It was not serious damage, just the battery.

Here is a Gray Cracker (Hamadryas februa). Do you have any idea of what he is resting/feeding on? I am trying to find things I can put out for them that would allow me to get closer to photograph them. Nice shot.

Here is a Gray Cracker (Hamadryas februa). Did you notice what plant he was on. I just last week went back to the grounds of Butterfly World and got clippings of it. It's a giant Porterweed. It's not common here. Nice looking butterfly. Unusual.

Great pictures. I had the same trouble photographing that butterfly and many others like it. The blue's and greens gave me trouble when there wasn't good available light. Using flash just messed up the colors. I think from now on I will just be a bit more patient and wait until I see them in the right light. The pictures you can get that way more than make up for the time it might take to get the shot.

In the last one I noticed a bit of the building. It looks nice and high. Is it a big building? Did you recognize the foliage there was the same as you would find at or around your nephews in Aventura?

In my yard I plant nectar and larva plants to attract butterflies and moths. I read about a plants or flowers they like and find or buy them. I am good at growing cuttings so finding the plants is the challenge. I get lots of visitors all year round. The problem I have is getting them to rest or feed so I can get close enough to recognize them. I do have a strong Easterly breeze I think makes them more nervous than they usually might be.

Visiting the butterfly attractions has given me good insite as to how to rearrange my yard over the fall to take advantage of the good sized property I have here. Perhaps if I do it right, they will do more resting and I can get better pictues.

I am leaving you with a link to my favorite on line nature photographer Tom Murray. This is the main page of his many galleries. On this page second group down is a gallery of New England Butterflies and next to it New England Dragonflies. I know you will enjoy this and the rest of the site. http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74

Art

Hi Art,
I haven't forgotten about you; just very busy this week. I went through some of my older butterfly photos to find one of a Piano Key for you. They are similar to the Small Postman and Postman butterflies and both species have wide variations among them so it can be hard to know which is which. Notice the black and white "piano keys" along the bottom edge of the wings. This photo also has a Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa). I love the deep rich velvety maroon of the 'Cloaks; I have them flying around my yard here.

Now, about those feeders: All it is is a bamboo pole with a plactic champagne class (with the bottom removed) and a kitchen scrubbie( you know, the plastic mesh things) in the glass. Then the glass is filled with sugar water (4 parts water to 1 part sugar). Here's a better shot of one.

Here's an other way the scrubbies can be used. Take a serving platter that is the type for salsa and chips, all one piece with a well in the middle for the salsa. Put the sugar water and scrubbie in the salsa spot and you can place the platter where ever you like. A bird bath might make a good pedestal. I tried one of the bamboo type and everytime it rained it got too full and the weight caused it to tip and all the sugar water fell out. I guess they are great for indoors where you don't have to deal with the elements.

This message was edited Sep 2, 2005 2:48 PM

Here's a nice shot of a Scarlet Mormon and a Piano Key in flight.