Morpho Butterfly

Morpho Butterfly by Sheryl Tollenaar

A Morpho butterfly may be one of over 80 species of the genus Morpho. They are Neotropical butterflies found mostly in South America as well as Mexico and Central America. Morphos range in wingspan from the 7.5 cm (3 inch) M. rhodopteron to the imposing 20 cm (8 inch) Sunset Morpho, M. hecuba. The name Morpho, meaning changed or modified, is also an epithet of Aphrodite and Venus.

Morpho Butterfly by rich66~

Many Morpho butterflies are colored in metallic, shimmering shades of blue and green. These colors are not a result of pigmentation but are an example of iridescence: the microscopic scales covering the Morpho's wings reflect incident light repeatedly at successive layers, leading to interference effects that depend on both wavelength and angle of incidence/observance. Thus the colors produced vary with viewing angle, however they are actually surprisingly uniform, perhaps due to the tetrahedral (diamond-like) structural arrangement of the scales or diffraction from overlying cell layers. This structure may be likened to a photonic crystal. The lamellate structure of their wing scales has been studied as a model in the development of fabrics, dye-free paints, and anti-counterfeit technology used in currency.

The iridescent lamellae are only present on the dorsal side of their wings, leaving the ventral side brown.

The ventral side is decorated with ocelli or eyespots. In some species, such as M. godarti, the dorsal lamellae are so thin as to allow the ventral ocelli to peek through. While not all Morphos have iridescent coloration, they all have ocelli. In most species only the males are colorful, supporting the theory that the coloration is used for intrasexual communication between males. The lamellae reflect up to 70% of light falling on them, including any ultraviolet (UV). The eyes of Morpho butterflies are thought to be highly sensitive to UV light and therefore the males are able to see each other from great distances. Some South American species are reportedly visible by the human eye up to one kilometre away.

There also exist a number of white Morpho species, principal among these being M. catenarius and M. laertes. An unusual species that is fundamentally white in coloration, but which exhibits a stunning purple iridescence when viewed at certain angles is the rare M. sulkowskyi, while among the metallic blue Morpho species, M. rhetenor stands out as the most iridescence of all, with M. cypris a close second. Indeed, M. cypris is notable in that specimens that are mounted in entomological collections will exhibit color differences across the wings if they are not 'set' perfectly flat.

Spicebush Swallowtail

Spicebush Swallowtail by AllHarts

The Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) is a fairly black swallowtail found in North America. It is the state butterfly of Mississippi.

Adults can be identified by their spoon-shaped tails and by their bright green (male) or iridescent blue (female) hind-wings. Ivory spots may be visible on the forewings, and orange spots may appear on the hindwings. Wingspan may be 3 to 4 inches.

Spicebush Swallowtail by poppy2323

The caterpillars live in folded leaf shelters and eat the leaves of the sassafras or spicebush. Adults consume a variety of nectars, including those from azalea, Japanese honeysuckle, milkweed, and thistle flowers.

Both sexes are thought to be edible mimics of the distasteful Pipevine Swallowtail.

Leopard Lacewing

Leopard Lacewing Butterfly by sypix

The Leopard Lacewing (Cethosia cyane) is a species of heliconiine butterfly found in South Asia.

Leopard Lacewing by Siana NZ

One-spotted prepona

One-spotted prepona by Howard Platt

The One-spotted prepona (Archaeoprepona demophon) is a butterfly found in Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and northern portions of South America.

Comma Butterfly

Comma (Polygonia c-album) by William Richardson

The Comma (Polygonia c-album) is a species of butterfly, common in the United Kingdom and with a distribution across Europe and temperate Asia to Japan and south to Morocco. Similar species are found in the United States and Canada. It has a white marking on its underwings resembling a comma. The wings have a distinctive ragged edge, apparently a cryptic form as the butterfly resembles a fallen leaf. The caterpillars are also cryptic, resembling a bird dropping.

In the 19th century the British population of comma butterflies crashed, and by 1920 there were only two sightings. The cause for this decline is unknown, and from about 1930 the population recovered and it is now one of the more familiar butterflies in Southern England, and is now resident in Scotland and in North Wales.

Comma (Polygonia c-album) by Rachael Hickling

The caterpillars will feed up on hops, and they will also eat stinging nettle, elm or currant leaves, and in other parts of its distribution (e.g. in Sweden) also sallow and birch leaves.

The species survives the winter in the adult stage, and adults are of two forms. The form that overwinters before reproducing has dark undersides of the wings, whereas the form that develops directly to sexual maturation has lighter colured wing undersides. Both forms can arise from eggs laid by the same female, depending mainly on the photoperiods experienced by the larvae, but also with an influence of host plants, temperature and sex of individuals.

White Admiral

White Admiral by BugMan50

The (Eurasian) White Admiral (see also Limenitis arthemis), Limenitis camilla, is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. They are found in woodland throughout southern Britain and much of Europe and Asia, extending as far east as Japan.

Adult white admirals have black wings with white bands. The contrasting colours help to break up the outline of the wing, camouflaging it from predators. They have a wing span of approximately 60-65 mm and have a distinctive, elegant flight comprising of short periods of wing beats, followed by long glides.

White Admiral by BugMan50

The white admiral feeds on bramble blossom and honeydew and the female will lay its eggs singly on wisps of honeysuckle growing in dense woodland. The caterpillars are green with red-brown hairs and are camouflaged on a leaf, by a mixture of their own dropping and silk. As autumn approaches it will form a tent-like structure made of leaf tissue known as a hibernaculum which it then secures to the stem with silk before hibernating. The caterpillar will then awaken the following spring and after a brief spell of feeding will moult, revealing a spiny green skin. It will then pupate during the summer, forming a green and gold chrysalis. After approximately two weeks the adult will emerge.

Red-Spotted Purple

Red Spotted Purple by Profrmdover

Limenitis arthemis (Red-Spotted Purple) is a polytypic species of North American brush-footed butterfly, common throughout much of the eastern United States. L. a. astyanax has red spots on its underwing and the top of the wings are notable for their iridescent blue markings. L. a. arthemis on the other hand has a large white band traversing both the fore and hindwings.

Red Spotted Purple by salvan

Clouded apollo

Clouded apollo by alto.zver

The Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) is a butterfly species of the family of Swallowtail butterflies (Papilionidae) found in Eurasia.

Clouded Apollos inhabits meadows and woodland clearings with plenty of flowering plants, both in the lowlands and in the mountains. It is not usually found at altitudes above 1500m except in the Asian mountains where it is known also from higher altitudes.

Clouded apollo by nkis

Its range of distribution extends from the Pyrenees, across the Central Massif, the Alps, and the Carpathians as far as central Asia. It inhabits all European countries including Norway, where it appears rarely and only in certain places. A great number of different geographical races and individual forms are distinguished in this extensive region. The most striking specimens include the dark race from the eastern Bavarian Alps (ssp. hartmanni ); form melania has the most pronounced dark colouring.

Monarch Butterfly

Monarch Butterfly by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae), in the family Nymphalidae. It is perhaps the best known of all North American butterflies. Since the 19th century, it is also found in New Zealand, and since 1871 in Australia, where it is called the Wanderer. In Australia it is also known as the wanderer butterfly.

In Europe it is resident in the Canary Islands the Azores and Madeira, and is found as an occasional migrant in Western Europe. Its wings feature an easily recognizable orange and black pattern, with a wingspan of 8.9–10.2 centimetres (3½–4 in). (The Viceroy butterfly has a similar size, color, and pattern, but can be distinguished by an extra black stripe across the hindwing.) Female Monarchs have darker veins on their wings, and the males have a spot in the center of each hindwing from which pheromones are released. Males are also slightly larger.

Monarch Butterfly by pieceoflace

Monarch Butterfly by pieceoflace

Painted Lady

Painted Lady by Matthew Ignoffo

The Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) is a well-known colourful butterfly, sometimes known in North America as the Cosmopolitan. This butterfly has a strange pattern of flying in a sort of screw shape.

Painted Lady by Vicki's Nature

It is one of the most widespread of all butterflies, found on every continent except Antarctica. In Australia, V. cardui has a limited range around Bunbury, Fremantle and Rottnest Island. However, its close relative, the Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi, sometimes considered a subspecies) ranges over half the continent. Other closely related species are the American Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), and the West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella).

Painted Lady by Marko_K

Great Spangled Fritillary

Great Spangled Fritillary by Aditi-the-Stargazer

The Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is distinguished from the Aphrodite and Atlantis Fritillaries by a wide light submarginal band on the hindwing. It starts flying before dawn and returns to rest in mid-afternoon (Fullard & Napoleone 2001).

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye Butterfly by pieceoflace

Junonia coenia is the Common Buckeye butterfly. It is found in all parts of the United States except the northwest, and is especially common in the South, the California coast, and throughout Central America. Its habitat is open areas with low vegetation and some bare ground. The bold pattern of eyespots and white bars on the upper wing surface is distinctive in much of its range, though compare related species in the same genus.

(These are Mangrove Buckeye, Junonia evarete and Tropical Buckeye, Junonia genoveva, formerly considered one species, the Smoky Buckeye, Junonia evarete.) The eyespots likely serve to startle or distract predators, especially young birds. The species has many flights throughout the year, with mostly northward migrations for the summer. Much of the northern United States is only colonized in the fall from southern populations. Some of the later broods move southwards in the fall. Common buckeyes exhibit seasonal polyphenism, the summer version of the butterfly has light yellowish ventral wings and is called "linea". The Fall morph has pink ventral wings, and is called the "rosa" morph.

Common Buckeye photo by pieceoflace

Adults feed on nectar and also take fluids from mud and damp sand. Males perch on bare ground or low plants, occasionally patrolling in search of females, but they are not territorial. The female lays eggs singly on buds or the upper side of leaves. The caterpillars are solitary and feed on the foliage, flowers, and fruits of the host plant.

A variety of (typically) herbaceous plants are used, including especially plants in the snapdragon family (Scrophulariaceae). These include snapdragon (Antirrhinum), toadflax (Linaria), and Gerardia. Caterpillars also feed on plants of the plantain family, such as Plantago; and the Acanthus family including ruellia (Ruellia nodiflora). Larvae feed singly. Adults and some larvae overwinter in southern areas. The pupa may not have a resting phase (diapause), as in many other butterflies.

This species and its relatives were placed formerly in the genus Precis.

The Common Buckeye was featured on the 2006 United States Postal Service 24-cent postage stamp.

Common Buckeye picture by tater48gem

Calinaga buddha

Calinaga buddha by cleanylee

The Freak (Calinaga buddha ) is a species of butterfly in the Calinaginae sub-family that is found in parts of Southeast Asia.

Calinaga buddha by 築夢人

Common Archduke

Archduke, Lexias pardalis photo by Chrysophylax

The Common Archduke (Lexias pardalis) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found in the Indomalaya ecozone.

The wingspan is 80-90 mm.

Archduke, Lexias pardalis by herman giethoorn

Snout butterfly

Snout butterfly by yadavop

Libytheana carinenta, the American or Common Snout Butterfly, is a member of the Libytheinae subfamily, in the brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae. This species is found in both North and South America. The larval host plants are Celtis spp. on which the eggs are laid singly. Massive migrations of this species often attract attention in the Texas and Mexican newspapers.

Snout butterflies have prominent elongated mouthparts (labial palpi) which, in concert with the antennae, give the appearance of the petiole (stem) of a dead leaf. Snouts often take advantage of their brilliant camouflage by hanging upsidedown under a twig, making them nearly invisible. Wings are patterned black-brown with white and orange markings. The fore wings have a distinctive squared off, hook-like (falcate) tip. Caterpillars appear humpbacked, having a small head, swollen first and second abdominal segments, and a last abdominal segment that is tapered and rounded. They are dark green with yellow stripes along the top and sides of the body, and have two black tubercles on the top of the thorax.

Dryadula phaetusa

Dryadula phaetusa by mmeida

Dryadula phaetusa, also known as the Banded Orange Heliconian, Banded Orange, or Orange Tiger, is a species of butterfly (an insect). The sole representative of its genus, the Banded Orange Heliconian is native from Brazil to central Mexico, and in summer it can be found rarely as far north as central Kansas. Its wingspan ranges from 86 to 89 mm, and it is colored a bright orange with thick black stripes in males, and a duller orange with fuzzier black stripes in females.

It feeds primarily on the nectar of flowers and bird droppings, and its caterpillar feeds on passion vines including Passiflora tetrastylis. It is generally found in lowland tropical fields and valleys.

Dryadula phaetusa by alapi973

Rajah Brooke's Birdwing

Rajah Brooke's Birdwing by MeiLyn

Rajah Brooke's Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana) is a distinctive black and electric-green birdwing butterfly from the rainforests of Borneo and the Malaysian Peninsula. The butterfly was named by the naturalist Alfred R. Wallace in 1855, after James of Sarawak, the Rajah of Sarawak.

Rajah Brooke's Birdwing by garnet_mermaid

The wings of the male butterflies are black and each forewing has seven teeth-shaped electric-green markings (the smaller hindwings are also black with green markings). The head is bright red and the body is black with red markings. The wings of the female butterflies are browner with prominent white flashes at the tips of the forewings and at the base of the hindwings. The larval host plant is Aristolochia foveolata. Adults sip fruit juices and flower nectar. Classification: Family Papillonidae, Subfamily Papilloninae.

Rajah Brooke's Birdwing is a protected species, listed under Appendix II of CITES

The butterfly is the national butterfly of Malaysia.

Malaysian moon moth

Malaysian Moon Moth by Mafr-Mcfa

The Malaysian moon moth, Actias maenas, is a purple and yellow Indomalayan Saturniid in the subfamily Saturniinae.

Southern Birdwing

Southern Birdwing, Troides minos by aathiraperinchery

The Southern Birdwing (Troides Minos) is a large and striking Swallowtail butterfly endemic to Peninsular India. With a wingspan of 140-190mm, it is the largest butterfly found in southern India.

It was earlier considered a subspecies of the Common Birdwing (Troides helena) but is now recognised as a valid species.

The species is more common in the Western Ghats, which is a biodiversity hotspot with a high degree of endemism in many taxa. It is much sought after by collectors and is a highlight of many butterfly-tours in the Western Ghats.

Southern Birdwing by AnoopAA

Red Admiral

Red Admiral by TexasEagle

The Red Admiral or Vanessa atalanta (previously also known as Pyrameis atalanta) is a well-known colourful butterfly, found in temperate Europe, Asia and North America. The species is resident only in warmer areas, but migrates north in spring, and sometimes again in autumn.

This large butterfly is identified by its striking dark brown, red and black wing pattern. The caterpillar feeds on nettles, and the adult drinks from flowering plants like the Buddleia and overripe fruit.

Red Admiral by algo

In northern Europe, it is one of the last butterflies to be seen before winter sets in, often feeding on the pale fire of ivy flowers on sunny days. The Red Admiral is also known to hibernate, re-emerging individuals showing prominently darker colourings than first brood subjects. The butterfly also flies on sunny winter days, especially in southern Europe.

Red Admiral by Anita363

In North America, the Red Admiral generally has two broods from March through October. Most of North America must be recolonized each spring by southern migrants, but this species over-winters in south Texas.

Indian Tortoiseshell

Indian Tortoiseshell by Vidya Venkatesh

The Indian Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis kaschmirensis) is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in Asia.

Upperside of forewings with the basal half of costa and termen pale brown, the former flecked with pale yellow, the latter bordered inwardly by a narrow darker brown band bearing a series of black lunules; outwardly traversed by sinuous slender subterminal and more slender terminal black lines : base of wing and the greater part of interspace 1a and of 1 posteriorly brown, irrorated with golden scales, the rest of the wing anteriorly yellow, posteriorly and at base of cell red, with the following black markings: a broad band across the cell, another broader short band beyond, touching the discocellulars, not extending below vein 4, and a third not extending below vein 5, with a white patch beyond before apex, all three short bands rounded posteriorly ; on the disc there is a large oval black spot, followed by a yellow patch in interspace 1, and above it smaller black spots in interspaces 2 and 3.

Hindwing has the basal half dusky brown, covered posteriorly with long brown hairs ; anteriorly beyond the bases of veins 5, 6 and 7 black, followed by a broad red band anteriorly turning to yellow; a broad terminal brown band, traversed by a series of black-bordered blue lunules, and beyond them by very slender inner and outer black sinuous lines. In Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh, India.

Underside brown, with closely-set transverse short black striae; basal half of wings clouded with dark purplish brown, the outer margin of the dark portion defined by a highly sinuous jet-black transverse line, most distinct on the hind wing, and also crossed, nearer the base of the wings, by two or three similar, much interrupted lines ; terminal half of the wings paler, with two dark irregular patches below costa of fore wing ; finally a sinuous transverse subterminal narrow dark blue band across both fore and hind wings, bordered on both sides by slender black lines, widening into spots on the veins of the fore wing. This band is more distinct in the female than in the male. Antennae dark brown, minutely ringed with white; head, thorax and abdomen dark brown above and below. Has a wing expanse of 52-63 mm.

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)

Common Blue by tr33lo

The Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.

Common Blue by camerar

Anise Swallowtail

Anise Swallowtail by dbullens

The Anise Swallowtail, Papilio zelicaon, is a common swallowtail butterfly of western North America. Both the upper and lower sides of its wings are black, but the upper wing has a broad yellow stripe across it, which gives the butterfly an overall yellow appearance. There are striking blue spots on the rear edge of the rear wing, and the characteristic tails of the swallowtails. Its wingspan is 7-9 cm. Its body is somewhat shorter than the rather similar Western Tiger Swallowtail, with which its range overlaps; it also lacks the black stripes, converging toward the tail, of the latter. There is a somewhat darker subspecies, Papilio zelicaon nitra, which is rare throughout the range, though somewhat more often found at lower elvations.

Black Swallowtail

Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) by gracie328

The Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes, also called the American or parsnip swallowtail is a butterfly found throughout much of North America. It is the state butterfly of Oklahoma. There is an extremely similar-appearing species, Papilio joanae that occurs in the Ozark Mountains region, but it appears to be closely related to Papilio machaon, rather than polyxenes.

The Black Swallowtail has a wingspan of 3 1/4 inches to 4 1/4 inches (8 to 11 centimeters). The upper surface of the wings is mostly black. On the inner edge of hindwing is a black spot centered in larger orange spot. A male of this species has a yellow band near edge of wings; a female has row of yellow spots. The hindwing of the female has an iridescent blue band.

In the Southwest USA, yellow forms predominate in the subspecies Papilio polyxenes coloro.

After mating, small, yellow eggs are laid, typically on garden plants from the carrot family, including dill, fennel and parsley.They are also found eating bishop's weed. First instar larvae grow to about 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) long, resemble bird droppings and are dark purple-brown with a white band in the middle and have spikes, with a light brown-orange ring at the base of each of the spikes in the dark region (spikes are white on the white band). Later instars grow to about 5 cm (2 inches) and are yellow-white and black banded with yellow spots around every second black band. They have short, black spikes around some of the black bands, although these tend to disappear as the larva nears pupation.

Black Swallowtail by Stylurus

The Black Swallowtail Caterpillar has an orange "forked gland", called the osmeterium. When in danger the osmeterium, which looks like a snake's tongue, everts and releases a foul smell to repel predators.

The Black Swallowtail pupae may be green or brown, but not depending on its surroundings or what it has pupated on. The color of the chrysalis is determined by a local genetic balance which ensures that majority of pupae will blend in.

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis)

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail by VicSedford

The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) is a species of the Papilionidae family. It was once classified as a subspecies of Papilio glaucus.

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail by outdoors2magic

Adult

The wingspan of this particular species is 67 to 80 mm long. There are two adult morphs yellow and black, although the black form is considered quite rare. This species is very similar to the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and has a noticeably smaller wingspan. Unlike the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail the yellow marginal band is continuous. The hindwing has many orange scales, on both morphs. This species has also been known to be hybridized with both the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Western Tiger Swallowtail even if this is extremely rare.

Caterpillar

A large green caterpillar with an enlarged head. It has 4 yellow dots and 2 false eyes with bluish centers. A profile view of this caterpillar is similar with that of a snake-like figure. The immature larvae are brown and white to mimic bird droppings, this mimicry makes it unappealing to predators.