Sunday, September 15, 2013

Recent Butterflies & Moths

This is a great time of the year to explore the many species of butterflies and moths that can be found in Central Florida. Here are a few of the butterflies and moths I've seen over the past month at my favorite wildlife locations. The Queen is a commonly found the Viera Wetlands. I never tire of seeing this boldly colored, large butterfly.


Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta

Last weekend, I saw quite a few Long-tailed Skipper feeding on the vegetation growing along the fence that borders the wetlands.

Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus

Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus

I encountered the next two species, the Eastern Pygmy-blue and the Ceraunus Blue, along Biolab Road on the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.  

Eastern Pygmy-blue
Brephidium pseudofea

The Pygmy is the smallest butterfly in Florida and the Ceraunus is only slightly bigger. These two species are fairly similar, however, easy to distinguish by their hindspots.

Ceraunus Blue
Hemiargus ceraunus

Ceraunus Blue
Hemiargus ceraunus


Mangrove Buckeye
Junonia evarete

There were quite a few Mangrove Buckeyes along Biolab Rd as well as along Blackpoint Drive.



Perhaps my favorite find of the month was this Polka dot Wasp Moth. It is also referred to as an "Oleander Moth" because of its love of oleanders. This colorful little creature has white dotted wings and a stunning metallic blue, bright orange abdomen. This species resembles a wasp, however, it is just a harmless moth.

Polka dot Wasp Moth
Syntomeida epilais



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30 comments:

  1. Mia McPhersonSeptember 15, 2013 at 2:15 PM

    These are stunning Tammy!

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  2. AnonymousSeptember 15, 2013 at 2:16 PM

    Great detail in all of the shots! That polka dot moth is amazing.

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  3. TexWisGirlSeptember 15, 2013 at 3:08 PM

    i LOVE the queens. so rich in color. glad i get to spot them here. the mangrove buckeye looks darker than the commons we get here. so pretty! would love to see the long-tailed skippers and blues! great shots!

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  4. MariaSeptember 15, 2013 at 4:01 PM

    Lol Tammy; great post! I also posted on the Polka dot Wasp Moth when I did a post on Nerium Oleanders. Many gardeners destroy them because they defoliate Oleanders; pity! I love the Long-tailed Skipper. Great post!

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  5. IanHSeptember 15, 2013 at 4:33 PM

    Great shots, Tammy!

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  6. dwaynejavaSeptember 15, 2013 at 5:09 PM

    Tammy breathtaking looks at these little flying gems. The ventral shot of the Ceraunus Blue is particularily nice - showing the finest details of its wing scales. Years ago while on vacation, I think I saw a Queen and assumed it was a Monarch... still regretting that! Thanks for sharing the beauty of Florida with the rest of us! -DM

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  7. Alan PaveySeptember 15, 2013 at 10:23 PM

    A lovely array of Butterflies and moths there Tammy, that Long Tailed Skipper is really smart :-)

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  8. Nathailes SANTA MARIASeptember 15, 2013 at 10:44 PM

    Je vois qu'il y en a quelques uns comme chez nous aussi.
    Syntomeida epilais est exceptionnel !!!!
    Merci
    tes photos sont superbes.

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  9. DaveSeptember 16, 2013 at 12:33 AM

    Great post.... they all have their own beauty but the one that catches my eye is the Ceraunus Blue.... stunning

    Good timing Tammy as I have started to post a few moth encounters on my blog pages..... great minds think alike.

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  10. Amazing wonders in my lifeSeptember 16, 2013 at 2:03 AM

    lovely pics... enjoyed all of them

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  11. AnonymousSeptember 16, 2013 at 3:04 AM

    wat een heerlijke vlinderserie dit is genieten er zitten wel hele bijzondere voor mij tussen.

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  12. Joop ZandSeptember 16, 2013 at 3:32 AM

    Wonderful pictures Tammy....nice work again.

    Greetings, Joop

    http://joopzandfotografie.blogspot.nl

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  13. IrmaSeptember 16, 2013 at 5:53 AM

    Great butterfly photos Tammy.
    All very sharp and full of detail.
    Greetings Irma

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  14. Jero MilánSeptember 16, 2013 at 7:10 AM

    Querida Tammy, como siempre unas imágenes bellísimas.
    Un saludo desde Extremadura

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  15. Josh WallestadSeptember 16, 2013 at 9:08 AM

    Stunning.

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  16. WolfySeptember 16, 2013 at 10:30 AM

    Beautiful Shots - I especially like the long tailed skippers and the wasp moth!

    Joe

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  17. Lorents H BlomsethSeptember 16, 2013 at 11:47 AM

    Hi Tammy !
    You have become a really good macro photographer, great butterfly pictures you show up here. Have a fine photoweek !

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  18. Pasión por las avesSeptember 16, 2013 at 11:52 AM

    Hola Tammy magnifica coleccion de mariposas para mi esta ultima es la mas curiosa y la mas bonita.Un abrazo

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  19. damianSeptember 16, 2013 at 12:22 PM

    Lovely picture Tammy.... Great shots, I can only envy :)

    Greetings from Poland :))

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  20. Two Old BirdsSeptember 16, 2013 at 1:31 PM

    Great job! as always I've been up to the same thing, photographing moths and butterflies. Awaiting the fall migration.

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  21. CatherineSeptember 16, 2013 at 1:54 PM

    It's starting to get cold in the mornings here. All our butterflies and dragonflies are disappearing for another year. :(
    xo Catherine

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  22. Jen SanfordSeptember 16, 2013 at 4:42 PM

    Amazing stuff... The polka dot wasp moth guy is crazy!

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  23. NoushkaSeptember 17, 2013 at 2:51 AM

    Amazing beauties here again Tammy!
    The Red admiral is quite familiar and common in France! Good to see we share some species! ;-)
    On the other hand, the Long tailed skipper is unknown here, it really is magnificent!
    Ceraunus Blue is such a lovely shot!
    The Buckeye is one of my favorite butterflies but doesn't occur in Europe.
    And... admiration for the Polka dot Wasp Moth, strange and gorgeous!
    A great series of wonderful pictures, congrats, Tammy!
    The season for dragonflies is slowing down here, the cold spell and the rains are not good for them, a pity... I bet it is still in full swing in Florida!
    Cheers, keep well!

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  24. RonSeptember 17, 2013 at 11:43 AM

    Great shots Tammy! I especially like the ones of the polka dot wasp moth. Can't say that I have ever seen one of those before.

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  25. seijastiinaSeptember 19, 2013 at 12:52 AM

    Very beautiful blog ♥
    I love butterflies!
    I love birds!

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  26. Julie G.September 19, 2013 at 7:35 AM

    Tammy, I see you are a master with the macro lens as well. A most stunning series of photographs! If I had to pick favorites, the Queen, Long-tailed Skipper and Polka dot Wasp really caught my eye. Probably because I have never seen these insects before. Excellent images!

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  27. Ana Mínguez CorellaSeptember 22, 2013 at 1:52 AM

    Hi Tammy.. Wonderful pictures.. Truly beautiful.. The firs butterfly is absolutely wonderful.. Regards

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  28. eileeninmdSeptember 25, 2013 at 1:17 AM

    Tammy, these are all awesome macro shots. Lovely collection of butterflies!

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  29. Ottars fotobloggOctober 1, 2013 at 11:32 AM

    Fantastic and exciting pictures you show here, enjoyed the whole series.

    Ottar

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  30. Scott SimmonsOctober 4, 2013 at 5:46 PM

    So beautiful! I'm so jealous of your Blues! I still don't have any good photos of them.

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I greatly appreciate your comments!