Central America - Honduras

[Kip]

Don't see many Blue Skippers?.. well here's one....

Pythonides jovianus, the Variable Blue Skipper...

[petesmith]

Blue Skippers are fabulous! I photographed a Pythonides proxenus (Black-topped Blue Skipper) in Costa Rica a few years ago, in the depths of the rainforest - it was a sensational beast. Your jovianus is a beauty!

[bugboy]

Page 3 and still on the Skippers, this is going to be a very thread!

*edit* very LONG thread

[Kip]

Very long?, very tedious, very boring, could be any of them - definitely stringing them out, .... here are the last of the skippers anyway, there were more, but mainly LBJs...

Calpodes fusta, the Suffused Saliana...

Calpodes esperi, the Perching Saliana....

Orses cynisca, Yellow-edged Ruby-eye....

[bugboy]

Very long?, very tedious, very boring, could be any of them - definitely stringing them out,

I meant long, in a good way!

[Kip]

I know you did Just leg pulling... actually, Skippers were by far the greatest in numbers so now things won't go on forever

[Stevieb]

Excellent stuff Kip.

I follow the butterflies of Honduras on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064473711822
and really enjoy the reports and photos from the Emerald Valley.

I had an excellent day in Trujillo, visiting as part of a cruise stop. I can honestly say it was the best place that I have been to see and photograph butterflies.

BTW your wixsite is excellent too, a great photo resource.

Steve

[Kip]

Thank you... I really appreciate that. I'm glad you saw a bit of Honduras, Central America seems to be a fantastic place for leps.

Costa Rica was superb as well, and much more visitor orientated, Americanized (for better or worse) and adapting for eco-tourism in a very positive way...

Here are a couple of Lycaenids from Emerald Valley....

Arawacus togarna, common name, imaginatively enough is the Togarna Hairstreak...

and Rekoa meton, similarly also known as the Meton Hairstreak....

[Kip]

Two grey ones,
Ignata caldas, Caldas Hairstreak.....

and Kolana ligurina, Ligurina Hairstreak

[Padfield]

Long, I hope - but this is anything but tedious or boring ! And knowing you as I do, Paul, I can read into every photo your immense happiness and joy to be surrounded by all these fantastic butterflies. What a privilege it must have been.

Guy

[bugboy]

A few of these I have distant memories of from a trip to Costa Rica some 20 years ago (20 years ) . When I got round to naming stuff I had Togarna Stripestreak and Tiger-eye Hairstreak for those first two, a little bit more imaginative

[Kip]

I agree they are better names!..
Guy, it was wonderful to be able to be solo and entirely selfish for a week in among those exotics. They do a "festival" with a number of visitors going via a wildlife holidays outlet, which is at peak time, but being among a throng of enthusiasts just isn't my thing really. So I went the week before.. the most attractive nectaring flowers were not quite at their most "out", so I missed a lot of species which are drawn in, but there were plenty to keep me occupied on my own
Calycopis isobeon, Dusky-blue Groundstreak, is a beautiful but tiny gem of a Lycaenid, although never opening its wings at rest, you can get a glimpse on this photo of what it looks like in the air. Size wise, from the forewing apex to body is probably 8mm or so!!

[Kip]

That really was it for Lycaenids, and Riodinids were also fairly scanty, despite the promise of many... Here were my best shots...
Emesis tristis I think...

Chimastrum argentea, like some others, would only settle on the inferior surface of leafs..

Mesosemia carissima was more showy and obliging, though not pristine...

and Lasaia agesilas.. probably the nicest, but a relatively poor photo sadly...

[Kip]

Time for a few more now, having been off-grid a while.... Nymphalids....
Two species of Adelpha around and about. These were a smaller butterfly species than I expected, being more Tort sized, rather than Admiral sized....
Adelpha paraena ...

and Adelpha serpa...

[Kip]

Wanted to finally see some 88's and wasn't disappointed.... two species,

Diaethria astala...

and Catagramma tolima...

[David M]

This group are showstoppers! Absolutely phenomenal patterns.

[Kip]

Thank you - there will be more!

[Kip]

Two species of Cracker were present....

Hamadryas laodamia, the Starry Cracker, this one a female....

and Hamadryas iphthime, the Brownish Cracker....

Quite beautiful, and preferred basking on tree trunks or large stones

[petesmith]

Very envious of your 88s Paul! I had hoped to see one in Costa Rica but we were right at the north-west of the country, and they seem to be commoner further south. Your crackers bring back memories for me - awesome butterflies!

[Kip]

Well, you have seen many species I would also love to see one day. I don't know about you, but with so many tropical possibilities, it seems to be a bit of a lottery as to what you actually do see when in Central America. There are so many I have not yet seen!!!!!

Another species....

East Mexican Banner, Catonephele mexicana, has dramatic sexual dimorphism....

Female...

Male...

and the underside...