Mexican Butterflies

I recently returned from a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula - Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico. I took many pictures of the butterflies I saw, many of them I have not identified. I've identified some with my Kaufman's field guide for North American butterflies.

I've posted about 40 photos here: http://davesgarden.com/journal/ed/

Corrections and new identifications are welcome!

The pictures were all taken in a two hour stretch on a local golf course. I'm not much of a golfer, but noticed many butterflies as I participated in a Company function. I returned the following day with my camera and the caddy let me take a cart and retrace my route! I think they thought I was crazy! I know the rest of my group did!

This is one of the Ruddy Daggerwings I saw.

That link sent me to a page that says "Viewing Your Garden Diary" and there's nothing on it???

Love the look of the Ruddy Daggerwing...we get them here too. Had one show up last year in my yard...am hoping others will come this year...got figs and mulberry trees just waiting for them!

~ Cat

Try this link. http://davesgarden.com/journal/d/m/atenkley/4257/
Headed to see them for myself.

Edited to say: "Wow!! You must have been clicking away with all of those to look at. Sounds like a beautiful place to visit for sure. I am sure someone will come along and give an ID to those that you are still needing. Thanks for sharing your photos.

This message was edited Jan 20, 2007 9:48 PM

oh wow!!! all those on the golf course. Very nice pics

atenkley - What gorgeous butterflies! Your photos are really good. I hope you get some IDs on the ones you can't identify. Thank you so much for sharing your butterfly album with us! Makes me want to move to Mexico! :-)

Thanks, everyone, for the nice comments! I didn't realize I had so many different butterflies until I got home and started going through them on the computer. It was a very nice setting and so easy...nice paved paths, a golf cart. and vast natural vegetation along the fairways. Very enjoyable.

I have not spent any time yet even trying to research the unidentified ones...I'll do that now that I can access the pictures while I'm on the road for business.

I've been reading this forum a lot, and am thankful to everyone here for sharing their wealth of knowledge as I begin my butterfly gardens at home. thanks again - Arlan

Love your bf photos!!!

Be still my heart....how incredible.

WOW!!! What awesome photos!!!


Can you go back and edit your photos to include photo numbers? That way anyone trying to help identify them can refer to a photo # as it's hard to describe them. Will try to identify the ones I recognize...but don't hold me to the descriptions!!! I can readily identify the Daggerwings, Longwings, Red Rim, Malachite and a few others as I see them here :o)

This is a link to our local south Texas NABA chapter - lots of good photos on there to compare them to.

http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabast/photoschecklist.html

BETTER YET --- Do you have the Butterflies of Northweastern Mexico book by Kim Garwood and Richard Lehman??? It is a very good photographic identification book. No detailed descriptions - it's about 160 pages of colored photographs of the butterflies from there. This is the link to their website...just click on the 'galleries' link and you can compare your photos to theirs. I have that book - really help to identify those rare Mexican strays we get down here in south Texas!!!

http://www.neotropicalbutterflies.com/



Let's see if I can narrow down your search...

The first three look like Emperors - perhaps Silver and Pavon

I see the Four-Spotted Sailor - love that turquoise color on the topside of the males...the other photo is of a Four-Spotted Sailor female

The unknown Blue is maybe a Reakirt's Blue

That gorgeous zebra looking hairstreak is a Fine Line Stripestreak! WOW!!!! That is an fantastic butterfly!!!

The hairstreaks are hard to tell apart...possibly a Lacy's Scrub Hairstreak and a White Scrub Hairstreak.

Not sure of that white butterfly with orangish edges...I thought it was some type of Mestra as it looks very similar to our Common Mestra but I couldn't find anything that looked like it...perhaps it is some type of white Spreadwing Skipper???

The white one below that looks very much like a Alana White Skipper...I thought maybe it belonged to the white family but am leaning towards the skipper family.

The longtailed skipper looksl like a Four Spotted Longtail

Hmmm...then the other skipper looks very much like the Portrillo Skipper - it's got that unusual shaped spot on the wing.

Giant Sicklewing....but can't tell since the back wings seem like they're missing a piece

Patch? Checkerspot? Reminds me of a Theona Patch...but I really can't tell.

The skipper with the white fringe looks like some type of Cloudywing but which one...or maybe a Hammock Skipper

The skipper with the brownish bands looks like a Ephora Skipper or maybe Tropical Duskywing?

Don't know what kind of metalmark that is...but it's gotta be some type of metalmark...I think.

Don't know much about the skippers...after seeing a few of them they all start to look the same to me :o)

~ Cat

This message was edited Jan 21, 2007 11:19 AM

Beautiful butterflies. You must have had a good trip. I envy you!!

Thanks for sharing,

Chuck

I've been absent for awhile!

Thanks Chuck, for your nice comments. Yes, it was quite an experience!

Cat, I've taken your great sugggestion and numbered each of the pictures. Thank you for taking the time to note your impressions and ID's. I will be spending time at the sites you mentions as well. I have not yet taken the time to try and incorporate your input...hopefully I'll get to it soon!

Once again, thanks!

Arlan

Arlan,
your pictures of Mexican Butterflies are great. Could I invite you to enter these lovely images into BugFiles. Some of the species such as the Malachite http://davesgarden.com/bf/go/158/ have entries already, but others might need new entries, but all those identified would be a great addition to BugFiles.

Kennedy

Great pics! I might try using the diary this year too since that worked so nicely.

Hey Kennedy! Haven't seen you around in a while. I see you are the BF Admin! Congrats!

Arlan, #39 may be a Brown-Banded Skipper, Timochares ruptifasciatus.