South Texas Butterfly Photos

by Will Cook

Here's a selection of images of 89 butterfly species from two trips to Texas, June 5-7 and October 13-19, 2004 (full trip list). South Texas is a butterflier's paradise! I also found some interesting dragonflies, too. All photos were taken using a Nikon CoolPix 995.

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

Hesperiidae - Skippers

Pyrginae - Spread-wing Skippers

	Zilpa Longtail (Chioides zilpa) Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/13/04.
	Emerald Aguna (Aguna claxon) Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/13/04. Though very worn, this ultra-rarity is just brilliant!
	Dorantes Longtail (Urbanus dorantes) Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/13/04.
	Brown Longtail (Urbanus procne), male Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/13/04.
	Brown Longtail (Urbanus procne) Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/15/04.
	Brown Longtail (Urbanus procne), female Santa Ana, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/17/04.
	Brown Longtail (Urbanus procne) La Grulla, Starr Co., TX 10/17/04.
	Coyote Cloudywing (Achalarus toxeus) Starr Co., TX 10/16/04.
	Fritzgaertner's Flat (Celaenorrhinus fritzgaertneri) Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/17/04. This mega-rarity was found by the bathroom at Santa Ana. It was flashed so much by photographers that it left and flew into the visitor's center, where it perched upside down under a bookshelf! (The two photos were taken without flash, as were 95% of the others here.)
	Fritzgaertner's Flat (Celaenorrhinus fritzgaertneri) Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/17/04. Looking directly up towards the ceiling.
	Mimosa Skipper (Cogia calchas) Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 6/7/04.
	Mimosa Skipper (Cogia calchas) Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/15/04. Not the most exciting butterfly I've ever seen...
	Glazed Pellicia (Pellicia arina) NABA Butterfly Park, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/19/04. Distinctive posture - shrouding the flowers.
	Mazans Scallopwing (Staphylus mazans) Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/15/04. Nearly identical to Hayhurst's Scallopwing, which doesn't occur in south Texas.
	Sickle-winged Skipper (Achylodes thraso) La Grulla, Starr Co., TX 10/17/04. By far the most common spread-winged skipper we encountered. Natural sunlight.
	Sickle-winged Skipper (Achylodes thraso) Sabal Palms, Cameron Co., TX 10/18/04. Flashed.
	Sickle-winged Skipper (Achylodes thraso), female Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, Hidalgo Co., TX 6/6/04.
	Brown-banded Skipper (Timochares ruptifasciatus) Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/15/04. Just slightly worn...
	Brown-banded Skipper (Timochares ruptifasciatus) NABA Butterfly Park, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/19/04.
	White-patched Skipper (Chiomara asychis) Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/13/04. Looks a little moth-like with its hindwings hidden.
	White-patched Skipper (Chiomara asychis) Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/13/04. A more common pose. Note that the forewings point down, as do those of Sickle-winged Skipper and Glazed Pellicia.
	White-patched Skipper (Chiomara asychis) Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/15/04. 'Nectaring' on dung.
	Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Eisenhower Park, San Antonio, Bexar Co., TX 6/7/04. Compare with Horace's Duskywing from North Carolina.
	Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis) Eisenhower Park, San Antonio, Bexar Co., TX 6/7/04.
	Mournful Duskywing (Erynnis tristis) Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/13/04. Similar to Funereal, easiest to ID by the presence of a couple of white dots on the trailing edge of the hindwing below (which I noted on this individual).
	White/Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus albescens/communis) San Ygnacio, Zapata Co., TX 6/6/04. Compare with Common Checkered-Skipper from North Carolina.
	White/Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus albescens/communis) Eisenhower Park, San Antonio, Bexar Co., TX 6/7/04.
	White/Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus albescens/communis) Eisenhower Park, San Antonio, Bexar Co., TX 6/7/04.
	Tropical Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus oileus) Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/15/04.
	Tropical Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus oileus) Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 6/7/04.
	Turk's-cap White-Skipper (Heliopetes macaira) Loma Alta, Cameron Co., TX 10/14/04.
	Turk's-cap White-Skipper (Heliopetes macaira) Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, Hidalgo Co., TX 6/6/04.
	Turk's-cap White-Skipper (Heliopetes macaira) Loma Alta, Cameron Co., TX 10/14/04.
	Laviana White-Skipper (Heliopetes laviana) Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/15/04.
	Laviana White-Skipper (Heliopetes laviana) (mated pair) Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, Hidalgo Co., TX 6/6/04.
	Laviana White-Skipper (Heliopetes laviana) NABA Butterfly Park, Hidalgo Co., TX 10/13/04.
	Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus) Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, Hidalgo Co., TX 6/6/04.