A weak cool front came through and dropped the morning low to below 70 for the first time since spring. With clear sky and lower humidity I decided to check out the National Butterfly Center. Turned out to be a good choice. Butterfly of the day goes to this worn Mexican Crescent. I've been checking the Phaons lately as we were invaded by Mexican Crescents last year in October. Previously they had been extremely rare.
The esperanza was suddenly filled with Doube-dotted Skippers.
A big Brazilian Skipper zoomed in for a sip.
A big dark skipper burried itself in an esperanza flower. What the hell is this?
Could it be a Guava Skipper? Can they show a tail? It zoomed out and did not reappear so I went to the Mexican Orchid and sure enough there was a Guava Skipper. And yes it has a bit of a stub stail on the hind wings.
Between the Tropical Milkweeds Gregg's Mistflower and Crucita there were well over 200 Queens.
It's been a while since we've had a Hackerberry Emperor.
A Giant White hit the Mexican Olives.
My first Monarch of the fall.
Last butterfluy of the day was this very fresh Texas Powdered-Skipper.
38 species on the day without any south wind. The crucita is getting ready to pop. Good times ahead!
- Pipevine Swallowtail 1
- Giant Swallowtail 6
- Gray Hairstreak 2
- Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak 1
- Ceraunus Blue 12
- Fatal Metalmark 2
- American Snout 10
- Bordered Patch 6
- Phaon Crescent 20
- Painted Lady 1
- White Peacock 2
- Mexican Bluewing 1
- Tropical Leafwing 6
- Hackberry Emperor 2
- Empress Leilia 3
- Tawny Emperor 12
- Monarch 1
- Queen 200
- Guava Skipper 1
- White-striped Longtail 2
- Dorantes Longtail 1
- Brown Longtail 1
- Texas Powdered-Skipper 1
- Sickle-winged Skipper 3
- White-patched Skipper 5
- White Checkered-Skipper 5
- Tropical Checkered-Skipper 15
- Laviana White-Skipper 10
- Clouded Skipper 20
- Double-dotted Skipper 6
- Southern Skipperling 3
- Fiery Skipper 15
- Southern Broken-Dash 1
- Common Mellana 2
- Celia's Roadside-Skipper 8
- Eufala Skipper 12
- Brazilian Skipper 1
- Mexican Crescent 1
