South Texas Butterfly Photos - Metalmarks

by Will Cook

Here's a selection butterfly images from three trips to Texas, June 5-7 and October 13-19, 2004 (full trip list) and April 29, 2011. South Texas is a butterflier's paradise!

Papilionidae | Pieridae | Lycaenidae | Riodinidae | Nymphalidae 1 | Nymphalidae 2 | Hesperiidae 1 | Hesperiidae 2

Riodinidae - Metalmarks

Fatal Metalmark (Calephelis nemesis)

Fatal Metalmark (Calephelis nemesis), male
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/13/04.

Why is this petite beauty called 'fatal' and 'nemesis'? Nemesis is the Greek goddess of retribution and vengeance - "her anger is directed toward human transgression of the natural, right order of things and of the arrogance causing it." (pantheon.org). I posted a message to TX-Butterfly asking for guesses as to the origin of the name - Charles Bordelon replied "Maybe because Evans thought it presumptuous to determine every Calephelis by sight alone." Sounds like a reasonable explanation to me!

Calephelis Metalmark

Metalmark (Calephelis sp.)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/15/04.

Nick Grishin says this is most likely C. nemesis, but could possibly be C. sinaloensis, a species that may occur in Texas, but hasn't made it into the popular field guides. Calephelis ID is extremely tricky, and many individuals can't be identified for certain without dissection.

Calephelis Metalmark

Metalmark (Calephelis sp.)
San Ygnacio, Zapata Co., TX 6/6/04.

Again, this is most likely an exceptionally richly colored C. nemesis, but could possibly be C. sinaloensis.

Rounded Metalmark (Calephelis perditalis)

Rounded Metalmark (Calephelis perditalis), male
Loma Alta, Cameron Co., TX 10/14/04.

Rounded Metalmark (Calephelis perditalis)

Rounded Metalmark (Calephelis perditalis)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 6/7/04.

Rounded Metalmark (Calephelis perditalis)

Rounded Metalmark (Calephelis perditalis)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/15/04.

Bright ones are somewhat similar to North Carolina's Little Metalmark.

Red-bordered Metalmark (Caria ino)

Red-bordered Metalmark (Caria ino), female
Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, Hidalgo Co., TX 6/6/04.

Red-bordered Metalmark (Caria ino)

Red-bordered Metalmark (Caria ino), female
Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, Hidalgo Co., TX 6/6/04.

Blue Metalmark (Lasaia sula)

Blue Metalmark (Lasaia sula), male
Sabal Palms, Cameron Co., TX 10/18/04.

Wow - incredibly brilliant!

Blue Metalmark (Lasaia sula)

Blue Metalmark (Lasaia sula), female
Sabal Palms, Cameron Co., TX 10/18/04.

Blue Metalmark (Lasaia sula)

Blue Metalmark (Lasaia sula), male
Sabal Palms, Cameron Co., TX 10/18/04.

Red-bordered Pixie (Melanis pixe)

Red-bordered Pixie (Melanis pixe)
Edinburg, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/17/04.

One Guamúchil tree (Pithecellobium dulce) next to a Burger King drive-thru in Edinburg (US 281 at University Dr.) was covered with up to 100 of these magical beauties! One of the strangest, most memorable butterfly experiences in my life.

Red-bordered Pixie (Melanis pixe)

Red-bordered Pixie (Melanis pixe)
Edinburg, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/17/04.

Papilionidae | Pieridae | Lycaenidae | Riodinidae | Nymphalidae 1 | Nymphalidae 2 | Hesperiidae 1 | Hesperiidae 2


Comments? Questions? E-mail me at cwcook@duke.edu

All photographs and text ©2013 by Will Cook unless otherwise noted.