First Florida Purplewing at Progreso Lakes, 2/24/23

I was watching birds in the yard this morning (butterflies have been kinda scant lately) with plans to do yard work afterwards when I noticed a Julia Heliconian.  I took some photos and then saw something on my crawdad trap bait station that was bigger than a South Texas Satyr but smaller than a Red Admiral.  And I though I saw a flash of white spots.  I had a pretty good idea it might be a Florida Purplewing.  So I fired a couple of shots and I was right!  The purplewing then flew into the Mexican olive tree.  I watched for a few minutes and it didn't come back so I ran into the house for some more bait (a couple of oranges and melon rinds) and it came back in for a few shots.  Most years a Florida Purplewing will show up at the National Butterfly Center but it's always a big deal.  They are common as dirt in the Florida Keys.  Florida Purplewing is butterfly species #149 for our Progreso Lakes yard.

Here's the sharp Julia Heliconian.

At this point I thought to hell with the yard work.  Time to look for butterflies.  I had irrigated the back yard the night before so maybe that might attract some stuff.  Stuf like this Zebra Heliconian.

A big white flew by but no photo.  But later it was on the purple Duranta.  Warm south wind often brings a Giant White into the yard.

Here's a lazy Westerm Giant Swallowtail.

Double-dotted Skippers were showing a variety of dots.

First Celia's Roadside-Skipper for the year.

This Funereal Duskywing is all dressed up.

Here's today's list of 40 species which is pretty amazing for February.

• Pipevine Swallowtail 1
• Giant Swallowtail 1
• Checkered White 4
• Giant White 1
• Orange Sulphur 1
• Cloudless Sulphur 2
• Large Orange Sulphur 1
• Lyside Sulphur 1
• Boisduval's Yellow 1
• Little Yellow 5
• Mimosa Yellow 1
• Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak 2
• Dusky-blue Groundstreak 2
• American Snout 5
• Gulf Fritillary 5
• Julia Heliconian 1
• Zebra Heliconian 1
• Texan Crescent 10
• Vesta Crescent 10
• Phaon Crescent 3
• Red Admiral 1
• Florida Purplewing 1
• Common Mestra 1
• Tawny Emperor 1
• Carolina Satyr 12
• Monarch 1
• Queen 2
• White-striped Longtail 1
• Brown Longtail 2
• White-patched Skipper 1
• Funereal Duskywing 1
• White Checkered-Skipper 3
• Tropical Checkered-Skipper 12
• Laviana White-Skipper 1
• Julia's Skipper 2
• Clouded Skipper 6
• Double-dotted Skipper 2
• Southern Broken-Dash 1
• Celia's Roadside-Skipper 1
• Eufala Skipper 3

•