Large brown and white spider and cocoon in the making
February 22, 2010
Hi- …. The other picture was in the same place on the same trip. It was right on the edge of the swamp surrounded by a myriad of cypress trees. There were tons of these cocoons all over, and the leaves they were on were practically stripped (by the caterpillars, I’m guessing). I.D. would be appreciated!
Sammy
Collier County, FL
Brazilian Skipper Pupa
Hi Sammy,
The horn at the end resembles the horn on a Sphingidae caterpillar, but we don’t believe your pupa is in that family. We wish you were able to provide the food plant as that often assists in identification. We will post this mystery and see if we get any assistance.
Hi- the plant he (or she) was on is called fireflag, or alligator flag. Hope that helps.
Daniel,
It does not look like a sphingid to me.
Not even sure if the “horn” is on the front end or tail end.
Bill Oehlke
Karl identifies the pupa of a Brazilian Skipper
Hi Daniel and Sammy:
This looks like the pupa or chrysalis of a Brazilian Skipper (a.k.a. Larger Canna Leafroller), Calpodes ethlius, in the family Hesperiidae. There is a very similar photo on the Bugguide and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has posted an extensive information page. According to the latter site, the larval host plants are Canna Lilies and related species (looks about right from this photo). It is primarily a Central and South American species but has become established in Florida, Texas, and southern Arizona. Somewhat unusually, the horn is actually at the head end. Regards.
Karl
Solomons swallowtail
December 17, 2009
This is another video frame. Unfortunately the butterfly never stopped moving. This frame is the closest to “sharp” as I could grab from the video. I’m guessing it is a swallowtail sp.
Bruce, Atlanta
Solomon Islands, Tenaru River, Guadalcanal
Citrus Swallowtail
Hi Bruce,
This appears to be a male Citrus Swallowtail, Papilio aegeus. The Lepidoptera Butterflyhouse website has nice images of the entire metamorphosis. This species exhibits sexual dimorphism, where the two sexes look radically different from one another. Additionally, there are many races and subspecies throughout Australia, Indonesia, the Solomons and New Guinea.
2
lime green butterflies in Missouri
December 17, 2009
Can you tell me anything about these beautiful butterflies? I’ve lived in Missouri all of my life and have not seen them before, or since, I took these photos.
Catherine Dukleth
Clarence Cannon Nat’l Wildlife Refuge – Missouri
Puddling Cloudless Sulphurs and Kin
Hi Catherine,
We were going to write that Missouri is sure warm this time of year until we realized your photos are dated from September. The larger butterflies in your awesome photo are Cloudless Sulphurs, Pheobis sennae, a tropical species that flies year round in the southern United States where it has naturalized. It has also naturalized in Southern California, no doubt due to the cultivation of cassia, the larval food plant. According to BugGuide, the range is the “Southern United States; often migrates north in late summer/fall, sometimes reaching northern states and southern Ontario (see US distribution map). Permanent resident in the tropics, occurring south to the tip of South America.“ The smaller butterflies in your photos are probably members of the genus Colias, but we cannot identify the exact species without a closer view. Several species, including the Clouded Sulphur and the Orange Sulphur, fly in your area from spring through fall, and the caterpillars feed on clover and other legumes. Your photos depict mud puddling or a puddling party where large aggregations of butterflies gather at mud or wet soil to drink. They obtain nutrients including salts and amino acids from the activity. Wikipedia has a page on mud puddling.
Puddling Cloudless Sulphurs and kin
THANKS!!!!!!!!!! THAT’S AWESOME!!! HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON!!!
CATH
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