A beautiful sunny day after a brief cold spell brought our the butterflies at the National Butterfly Center today. Best was this sharp Isabella Heliconian. It's been a few years since I've seen one though several have been reported this fall.
The afternoon started with a male Pavon's Emperor up front in the fiddlewood. There have been several around lately.
Still a Mexican Silverspot where I saw one a few days ago. From the underside they are quite similar to Gulf Fritillaries but note the bold black bars beneath the costa.
I have never seen so many Purple-washed Skippers. Had at least a half dozen today.
Potrillo Skippers are being found after a long absence.
Found another Mazans Scallopwing. They are normally very uncommon here.
Finished the afternoon with this bright Two-barred Flasher.
Here's the list of 55 species seen in three hours.
- Checkered White 1
- Orange Sulphur 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 1
- Orange-barred Sulphur 1
- Large Orange Sulphur 2
- Lyside Sulphur 1
- Little Yellow 5
- Sleepy Orange 1
- Gray Hairstreak 3
- Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak 5
- Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak 1
- Dusky-blue Groundstreak 4
- Clytie Ministreak 1
- Cassius Blue 3
- Reakirt's Blue 2
- Fatal Metalmark 1
- American Snout 1
- Gulf Fritillary 2
- Mexican Silverspot 1
- Julia Heliconian 1
- Isabella's Heliconian 1
- Zebra Heliconian 6
- Bordered Patch 1
- Texan Crescent 5
- Pale-banded Crescent 1
- Vesta Crescent 1
- Phaon Crescent 5
- American Lady 1
- Painted Lady 1
- Red Admiral 5
- White Peacock 3
- Mexican Bluewing 3
- Pavon Emperor 1
- Carolina Satyr 3
- Monarch 2
- Queen 50
- Soldier 1
- Long-tailed Skipper 1
- Dorantes Longtail 6
- Brown Longtail 6
- Two-barred Flasher 1
- Potrillo Skipper 1
- Mazans Scallopwing 1
- White Checkered-Skipper 5
- Laviana White-Skipper 8
- Clouded Skipper 20
- Double-dotted Skipper 1
- Southern Skipperling 3
- Fiery Skipper 6
- Whirlabout 8
- Sachem 1
- Common Mellana 1
- Eufala Skipper 8
- Ocola Skipper 2
- Purple-washed Skipper 6
