Blue Morpho

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Blue Morpho ... Morpho melanus ...
Family: Brush-footed butterfly ... Nymphalidae ..
Found mostly in South America as well as Mexico and Central America...

One of my favorites ... A butterfly enjoying or perhaps confused about it's reflection!??!! However it cannot see it's gorgeous iridescent blue upper wings ...

Another one of my favorites also involves reflection ...
click here ... for a curious Red-legged Honeycreeper [Cyanerpes cyaneus]..

Gray Pansy

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Grey Pansy ... Junonia atlites..
Family: Nymphalidae ..

Name??

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Name???




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Blue Clipper

Blue Clipper Butterfly ... Parthenos sylvia ..
Family: Brush-footed butterflly ... Nymphalidae ...
Found in South and South-East Asia, mostly in forested areas ...

For more images, click here ..

Tiger Longwing

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Tiger Longwing ... Heliconius hecale ...
Family: Nymphalidae ...

Curiosity!

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No, he didnt touch the butterfly!

Sipping on sweet nectar

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This visit, I was able to take many shots with the butterfly proboscis dug deep into the flower, feeding on the sweet nectar. The enlarged version of the images give a much better perspective.

First two are heliconians and third Common Mormon [Papilio polytes]

Ruby Spotted Swallowtail

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Personally, I love this shot .... as one can see the flowers through the butterfly wings .

Dr. Doug Taron

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This visit to the Butterfly Haven, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Doug Taron, biologist at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum ... I thank him for helping me out with the identification of butterflies.

Check out his incredibly fascinating Blog, Gossamer Tapestry ...

Julia Heliconius

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Julia Heliconius ... Dryas iulia ..

Red Cracker Butterfly

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Red Cracker Butterfly ... Hamadryas amphinomme ...
Family: Nymphalidae ..

Butterfly identification leaflet

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Butterfly identification flyers ... Visitors find it a handy tool for identification ...

Here are some butterflies sitting on the flyer ...
The top image has ... Common Sailor Butterfly [Neptis hylas] ...
Bottom image has ... Common Sailor, Heliconius erato and Monarch ...

Blue Morpho

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Blue Morpho ... Morpho menelaus ...
Family: Brush-footed butterfly ... Nymphalidae
Found mostly in South America as well as Mexico and Central America ...

Initially when I started visiting the Butterfly Haven, I used to find it incredibly challenging to take a shot of Blue Morpho with it's wings spread open. In fact in my first few visits, I was not able to take that "desired" shot, despite my best efforts. Now whenever I visit, I am able to take at least one shot, of it's beautiful iridescent blue wings, and without even chasing it.

The Plain Tiger

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The Plain Tiger .. Danaus chrysippus ..
Family: Nymphalidae [brush footed butterfly] ... Subfamily: Danaine [Milkweed butterflies]..
* Also called African Monarch ..
Found in Australia, Asia and Africa..

Mocker Swallowtail

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Mocker Swallowtail ... Papilio dardanus...
This is female Mocker Swallowtail ...

Rice paper Butterfly

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Rice Paper Butterfly ... Idea leuconoe..
Family: Brush-footed butterfly .... Nymphalidae ...
Subfamily: Milkweed Butterfly ... Danainae ..
Found in Southeast Asia ..

Great Southern White

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Great Southern White ... Ascia monuste ...

Great Orangetip

Great Orangetip ... Hebomoia glaucippe ..
Family: Pieridae ..

Thoas Swallowtail

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I'm not too sure if this is Giant Swallowtail or Thoas Swallowtail ???

Paris Peacock

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Paris Peacock .... Papilio paris.

I have to confess that the butterfly was much more beautiful than it appears in the photo... with lovely metallic colors whih looked like shades of blue, green and mustand yellow. But it was sitting at a place where it was difficult to take a shot and then it vanished and I could not spot it again.

Arcas Cattleheart

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Arcas cattlheart ... Parides arcas ...

Personally I love this set of images ... The flower seems to have tilted by the force of the butterfly ...

Oblivious

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Purple Mort Bleu ... Eryphanis polyxena ...
Family: Nymphalidae ..

The boy seems to be captivated by another butterfly ...

Mexican Bluewing Butterfly

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Mexican Bluewing Butterfly ... Myscelia ethusa
Family: brush-footed butterflies ... Nymphalidae ...
Found in Central and South America ....

Indian Leafwing Butterfly

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Indian Leafwing ... Kallima paralekta ...
Family: Brush-footed butterfly ... Nymphalidae ..

In flight

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I am thrilled when I manage a decent photo of butterflies in-flight!