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http://www.longlocks.com/salon/ Chit Chat >> Letting Your Hair Down >> The Butterfly Challenge http://www.longlocks.com/salon/?num=1181296408 Message started by Galadriel on Jun 8^th, 2007 at 5:53am

Title: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Galadriel on Jun 8^th, 2007 at 5:53am

As those who follow my journal may know, I love butterflies. During this summer, my goal is to do a little inventory in our garden to see, how many species there visit.

However, since we are from all over the world (and USA alone is a big place), I would like to start a Butterfly Challenge for this summer. The idea is simple enough: take a picture of a butterfly you have seen, and post it to this thread.
The challenge lasts for the whole summer, and you can post as many pictures as you like. If you can recognize the species (and any additional information of it), that's cool, but not a requirement. However, I think this would be more fun if we really posted only photos we have taken by ourselves.

Besides enjoying the summer nature around us, I hope that this Challenge will provide everyone fun exercise. :)

To start, here is the picture that I took the other day:

Painted Lady butterfly Vanessa cardui. Migrating butterfly, spends winters in the South and comes to north for summers. Rated uncommon.

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Curlgirl64 on Jun 8^th, 2007 at 6:40am

What a cool idea!!! ;)

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Valerie on Jun 8^th, 2007 at 8:51am

We have a butterfly pavilion near our home and my husband has tons of beautiful pictures from there. I unfortunately can not go back though because I get really scared of things flying toward me and almost killed one that landed on me. :-[ I love to see pictures of them though!

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by La Diosa on Jun 9^th, 2007 at 12:57am

Ooh, I like that idea too. I can't wait to go out looking for butterflies!

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by greek_lady on Jun 9^th, 2007 at 1:03pm

I just wanted to tell to those of you that are "living among butterflies" or you arejust able to go out and see some, you are very lucky indeed!!
Enjoy this most beautiful of sights!!

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by La Diosa on Jun 9^th, 2007 at 4:22pm

I found a few butterflies on my walk today the first, I believe is a Phaon Crescent.
Habitat: Openings in thorn forest, open areas with closely cropped plants, dunes, pastures, road edges.
Range: Guatemala north through Cuba and Mexico to southern California, east through South Texas and Florida to coastal South Carolina. Strays to eastern Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri.

The other 2 I can't find information on. The black one was really pretty in person, the wings are trimmed in white.

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by rodent on Jun 9^th, 2007 at 10:58pm

I saw a Manarch and a Black Swollowtail in the woods behind work when I woke from my afternoon nap. The Manarch was excercising it's wings on a weed and was small for that type, possibly real young.

No pictures... I don't use a camera often. There was a time I knew my butterflies, but I guess the info has been erased do to lack of use from memory.

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by joeydog 1992 on Jun 11^th, 2007 at 1:06pm

This is a great idea. I live in the boonies and often see butterflies but have no idea what is what. If I get some pics, will someone tell me what they are?

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Galadriel on Jun 12^th, 2007 at 2:07am

Beautiful pictures, LaDiosa! I'm so glad to see that so many of you are interested of the Challenge- also mental support is welcome for us who chase the little flying gems.

joeydog, internet is a really good help in putting names to butterflies. You might find something about butterflies of your region, and if you are lucky, you might even find a naming guide that shows you pictures of different species.
You could also look from books.
Some species are really easy, while some others are very difficult. Unless you know to which group your butterfly belongs, it's a good idea to try to memorize also details. For example, in Finland we have several species of Whites that look the same when viewed from some distance. In order to determine the species, you need to get a really good look. So far, I have been able to confirm just one species, though I am almost sure that all the white butterflies flying around in our garden are not of that same species. And I won't even get to the situation with Blues... :P
I'm sorry I can't be much of help here- I don't know anything about species outside Finland -hence this thread...

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by La Diosa on Jun 12^th, 2007 at 6:43pm

Thanks Galadriel.

I found the name of my butterfly by doing an internet search. I had no idea there are so many butterflies, and very beautiful ones too. I'd like to see some more colorful ones but don't think they're indigenous to this area.

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by greek_lady on Jun 23^rd, 2007 at 2:36am

Galadriel!! I found some butterflies! I'm so happy to contribute to this thread. :)
The photos were taken at Easter time three years ago, we were at my cousin's place celebrating Easter.
Spring was all around us :) ::)
Even though I don't know the names I thought to post them, as they look so pretty!
I hope you like them

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by La Diosa on Jun 23^rd, 2007 at 4:46am

Those are some very beautiful pictures greek_lady! :D

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Galadriel on Jun 26^th, 2007 at 12:03pm

Greek Lady- I know who that striped yellow fellow is! ;D

It's Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius). A handful of them have been spotted in Finland over the years, but they all have been rare wanderers.

Beautiful pictures!

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Curlgirl64 on Jun 26^th, 2007 at 1:54pm

Pretty!!!

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Lisabelle on Jul 2^nd, 2007 at 2:10pm

Here's mine!

These butterflies are so cute and are everywhere 8-)

Not a butterfly, but this little gem of a dragon fly landed on me and looked me as to say take a pic, so I did! Its hard to see but he has a white dot on the tip of his wing and his body is electric blue :D

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Kiraela on Jul 2^nd, 2007 at 5:11pm

hey, are moths counted under this too? A really cute one landed on my cheek the other night and I just had to take a picture. It rode around on me for about 15 minutes.

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Galadriel on Aug 11^th, 2007 at 11:59am

Oh yes- if it's cute, it's welcome :D

Here are some pictures from our garden: the Parade of Sitting Butterflies

Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta). Migrating butterfly- its underside is not as colorful as the right side, but this wasn't a very cooperative individual.

Large white (Pieris brassicae) This one is a female, and one of its wings was damaged. We have several species of whites -it's somewhat challenging to distinguish them from each other. This is the largest of them.

Arran brown (Erebia ligea)

Very common, but only on odd years (2005, 2007 etc.) Not very spectacular, but a welcome visitor in our garden (gardens are not among its preferred habitats, so ours must be a good one! 8-) ).

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Curlgirl64 on Aug 11^th, 2007 at 12:20pm

:) :) :)

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Kiraela on Aug 11^th, 2007 at 2:57pm

those are very pretty, Galadriel!

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by texian.traveler on Aug 11^th, 2007 at 8:10pm

In Houston we have a Butterfly Museum. Fascinating place. I still remember the feel of the enormous butterfly that landed on my bare arm. Its feet were rough and gripped with surprising strength. When you left, you had to check each other for "stowaways."

The paths were slippery from the moisture in the air (most of the butterflys were tropical) which brings me to my first butterfly museum story.

I was walking down the path, diaper bag on my shoulder, when I slipped and fell. The bag fell off my shoulder and conked this little girl right on the head, and she fell. When we untangled and picked ourselves up from the path, there underneath us was the smashed body of a butterfly.

My second butterfly story actually happened the same day. They import the butterflies in the chrysalis, and put them in a protected area to hatch. One butterfly had fluttered out and was on the path flexing his wings, preparatory to flight. A circle of people had gathered to watch. A small boy, maybe three, saw his mother in the circle and ran to her. Straight through the middle. Yep. He did. There was this collective gasp.

And I thought, isn't that how life treats you sometimes? You spend all this time changing. You've just gotten out, are flexing your wings, ready to explore the world in a whole new way, and the equivalent of a great big shoe comes along and smashes you.

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Galadriel on Aug 18^th, 2007 at 1:23pm

More pics from today:

A slightly better red admiral picture. These are restless little fellows!

My best butterfly pictures so far. Small tortoiseshell butterfly, Aglais urticae, is one of our most common butterflies. In my opinion, it's also one of the prettiest.

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Curlgirl64 on Aug 18^th, 2007 at 8:36pm

Beautiful butterflies!!!!

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Galadriel on Aug 20^th, 2007 at 3:54am

Woo hoo! After days of stalking with the camera, I got pictures of what many consider to be the most beautiful butterfly found in our country. We have at least two individuals adorning our garden, I just had trouble getting good pictures.

European Peac0ck butterfly (Inachis Io, also: Nymphalis Io), fairly common, absolutely gorgeous

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Curlgirl64 on Aug 20^th, 2007 at 5:24am

You're right! Absolutely gorgeous!!

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by texian.traveler on Aug 20^th, 2007 at 7:25am

My daughter had a book called "The Icky Bug Alphabet Book." "R" was for Red Admiral. It said they are hard to catch because they fly fast and erratically.

Your pictures are beautiful.

Title: Re: The Butterfly Challenge
Post by Kiraela on Aug 20^th, 2007 at 11:42pm

Those are quite beautiful butterflies, G.! That bottom photo almost looks like a blue eyed kitty staring at you.