National Butterfly Center, 12/5/13

Our last last front really knocked down the number of butterflies in the RGV.  They've been slowly rebounding with the recent warm weather but instead of seeing more than 70 species at the National Butterfly Center as I did a few weeks ago, today I got only 56.  With another cold front due tonight I was hoping for some good stuff to blow up from the south.  And though it was an interesting day there was nothing fantastic.  Best butterfly was an Isabella's Heliconian that refused to stop for a photo.  A Julia's Heliconian proved to be much more cooperative.

Here in the RGV I would rate the Zilpa Longtail as the fifth most commonly seen of the long tailed skippers so it's always a treat for me to see one.

The day started with Honey finding this sharp Great Purple Hairstreak in the garden behind the visitor's center.

There's been a few Malachites around for the past few weeks.  Today there were at least four of them in the park.

This one refused to move as Honey moved in for the photo.  The Topical Leafwing was a bonus.

It's been several weeks since I had seen a Varigated Fritillary.

Here's the Questionmark for the day.

I saw at least eight Giant Whites on this warm prefrontal day.

Here was the best looking of many Dusky-blue Groundstreaks seen today.

Yesterday I made a run over to Santa Ana NWR and was pleased to see the East-Mexican  White-Skippers had survived the last cold spell.  They have another cold week coming up.